Lost Chronicles Part Two
by NextTimeI'llBeBraver
Summary: This is a series of short stories about the romance and adventure shared between two couples: Arwen and Legolas, and Eowyn and Aragorn. Their lives filled with romance, adventure, tragedy, danger, and humor. Each new chapter will be a new individual story and at the beginning of each chapter will be a summary and rating. (Arwen & Legolas) (Eowyn & Aragorn) by Caitie and Savannah
1. A Child To Call His Own

**Summary: A surprise in the night changes Eowyn and Aragorn's lives forever. Rated T by Savannah (Eowyn & Aragorn)**

September 27 – October 8, 3018

(Words written in bold type are spoken in Elvish)

Eowyn sat on the bed, her long hair in a thick braid over her shoulder. She sat with her arms wrapped around her legs, staring out of the small window. Outside the small cottage that she and Aragorn called home, the horses grazed and the sun shone. She watched as Aragorn split wood for their fire, sweat trickling down his bare chest. She smiled, her hand moving to her stomach as she felt the baby move inside of her. She moved from the bed and stood in the door. "Aragorn!" she called, her hand still on her stomach, a smile on her face. "Aragorn, come here!" Aragorn lifted his face and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Hurry!" Aragorn walked over to where she stood in the doorway. "The baby is moving," she said, grabbing his hand and placing it on her stomach. "Can you feel it?" she asked excitedly.

Aragorn's face broke into a smile as he moved his hand around her waist, feeling the child inside of her move. He looked down at Eowyn, her face was bursting with happiness and hope. Aragorn's hand moved to cup her face, he brushed the hair away from her face affectionately then bent down and kissed her sweetly.

They stood in the doorway to the house, staring at each other. The wind blowing on them and the sun shining on them. Aragorn smiled, they were together, she tasted sweet and the world was good.

..::..

Aragorn lay on his side with Eowyn beside him wrapped in his arms. He head tucked under his chin, his hands stroking her growing stomach. "Will I have a son or daughter?" he asked, his hands moving to the back of her neck, pulling the hair away to expose her skin. He leaned down, pressing his lips onto her neck.

Eowyn smiled and rolled over to face him, her naked body tangled in the sheets. "I want you to guess," she said, her hand running over his rough cheek. "What do you want, a boy or a girl?"

Aragorn raised his eyebrows. "A daughter to make dolls for, or a son to teach how to use a sword and make him into a man?"

Eowyn smiled and kissed him. "I don't think I'm big enough for twins, Aragorn," she said. "Pick one, boy or girl?"

Aragorn chuckled and kissed her in return. "What will our child look like?" he asked.

"He will have your jaw, strong and manly." Aragorn smiled. "And that smile," Eowyn added.

"Then he will have your hair," he said, winding a strand around his finger.

"A little boy with a head of blond curls, they'll bounce when he runs." Eowyn laughed. "A boy then," she said. Aragorn smiled, their lips touching. "What should we name our son?" she asked, breathing the words into his mouth.

"You're the one who said it was a boy," he said. "What if it's a girl?"

"A Rohirrim name then," she said. "Or Gondorian?

Aragorn laughed. "There are no Gondorian names, their Numenorean."

Eowyn rolled her eyes. "Numenorean then," she said.

Aragorn shook his head. "No," he said. "Our daughter will end up being called Burthoc."

Eowyn burst out laughing. "Really?" hat

"Yes," Aragorn said laughing. "That was my great aunt's name."

Eowyn's eyebrows lifted. "Our daughter will never be named anything like…that."

Aragorn wiped tears away from the corners of his eyes from laughing so hard. He bent down and kissed the top of Eowyn's head. "Alright," he said. "I promise."

..::..

The moon had risen in the sky to replace the sun, its light filling the room almost as brightly as in the day. Aragorn lay in bed, unable to sleep. He watched Eowyn across from him, her lips were parted slightly, breathing deeply as she lay on her side, her head on the corner of her pillow, and her arms wrapped around the other end. Aragorn climbed from the bed and crossed to her side, pulling the quilt up from around her hips so that it wrapped around her shoulders almost up to her chin and tucked it in around her.

He walked through the cabin to the door. As he stepped out the door the cold fall wind hit his face. He breathed in the night air and walked through the yard, the stars gleaming in the sky above him. He walked to where the horses stood beside each other, running his hand over their backs. He looked up at the sky. "Please don't let this happiness end," Aragorn prayed to the stars. "For once, can our lives not have such tragedy?"

..::..

Eowyn's eyes flickered open, panicked she flew up with a gasp. She threw the blankets back, her mouth opened in horror and she felt her heart stop beating. The bed around her waist was wet. She looked beside her, Aragorn was gone. Eowyn gasped, trying to fill her lungs with air again. "Aragorn!" she shouted, her voice broken. "Aragorn!" She screamed.

..::..

Aragorn's head shot up when he heard Eowyn cry out, his heart skipped a beat. "Aragorn!" Her voice pierced the night. Beside him the horses whinnied in fear but Aragorn was gone. He tore through the house, his calm demeanor shattered. When he reached their doorway he was hit with the sight that met his eyes. Eowyn knelt on the bed, the blankets that were wrapped around her earlier were thrown to the side, her nightdress tangled around her. But what made him feel sick with grief was the water that covered the bed around her.

Eowyn looked up at him, her eyes were filled with fear, tears streaming down her face. Aragorn was by her side in a second, holding her close, his big hands pressing her head against his chest; she began to sob. "It's too early," she kept saying.

Aragorn stroked her head, holding her tight. He kissed the top of her head then laid his head on hers, trying to comfort her. She gripped his shirt as a contraction started, she gasped and Aragorn released her. "Lie down," he said.

"Don't go," Eowyn said as her head hit the pillow.

Aragorn shook his head, he moved to her side and touched her cheek. "I will never leave you," he said.

The night wore on slowly, Aragorn built up a fire and sat with Eowyn, wiping her brow as she labored. From outside in the cool autumn night the windows of the cottage glowed orange and the air was filled with the sounds of Eowyn's cries. The horses whinnied nervously and pawed at the soft ground and the stars shone above them.

..::..

It was morning when Aragorn sat alone at the edge of the bed. The stars had receded back into the heavens and a grey twilight hung over the earth. Outside, mist covered the ground, and inside the cabin smoke hung heavy in the air. Behind him, Eowyn lay in the bed, her eyes closed and her body completely still. All around her sheets and blankets were stained with blood.

Aragorn sat in complete silence, staring down at the tiny baby in his hands. Dried tears lay on his cheeks. He stroked the child's head, remembering how only hours ago he had felt her moving and now his child was cold in his arms.

Slowly, he stood and ripped off a clean piece of sheet from the bed. He rested his daughter on top of it and gently wrapped her in the cloth. He turned to a table where a basket made of reeds sat. He picked it up and placed the body inside and walked out the door. He walked through the yard, taking a shovel with him to the edge of the forest. After putting the basket on the ground he lifted the shovel into the air then thrust it into the ground.

Aragorn dug until a clammy layer of sweat covered his body. The sun never fully rose but hid its face behind a grey sky that looked as if it were about to rain. When the hole in ground was deep and a mound of earth lay beside him Aragorn threw the shovel down. He picked up the basket and placed it into the rift in the earth then began to push the dirt back so that it fell into the darkness.

When he was finished Aragorn knelt, his shoulder bent and his head bowed. **"Keep her safe, we pray,"** he began in Elvish. He lifted his face as rain began to fall, spitting on him and his prayers. He stood and threw the shovel down once more. "You never listen anyway," he growled, walking back to the house, anger and sadness taking turns ripping at his heart.

..::..

Eowyn's eyes opened and she looked around the room. Aragorn sat at the edge of the bed, his back to her. She tried to sit up but pain rippled through her. Her breath caught in her throat and she fell back onto her elbow.

Aragorn turned around at the noise and was at her side, easing her back down. "Stay down," he said. "You need rest."

Eowyn looked around the room once more, at the blood covering the bed and felt her head spin. "Where is she?" she asked. "Where is our child?"

Aragorn took her hand. "Sleep, Eowyn."

Eowyn sat up. "What have you down with our baby?" she screamed. She felt herself falling and her eyes grew dark but she fixed her gaze on his face and fought for consciousness.

"Eowyn, listen to me," he said, his voice full of emotion. "She was too young." He held her shoulders as she almost fell. "Eowyn, lay back down. The child is dead."

Eowyn's face contorted in pain and she choked on a sob. "No," she yelled, trying to push him away, but he was too strong and she was too weak. Eowyn's eyes closed and she fought for breath.

Aragorn caught her in his arms, her head falling limply onto his chest. He felt tears stinging his eyes as he lay her on the bed and watched her chest rise and fall. Aragorn fell to his knees beside the bed, staring at Eowyn. He looked at the blood and her white face and let out a shaking breath before closing his eyes. He let his head rest on the edge of the bed and tried to banish the images of his child from his mind and the pain from his heart.

..::..

Two days had passed and the stench of blood had finally abandoned the cottage, and yet Eowyn had not left her bed. She lay on her side, the blankets thrown carelessly over her as she stared out the window. Her eyes were fixed on the edge of the forest and the mound of earth that was her child's grave. Often, she would see Aragorn kneeling in front of it, his shoulder's bent with some unbearable weight. Tears took their overused path down her face, a miniature of the rain on her window.

Eowyn heard Aragorn's steps coming through the door into the house. She tore her eyes away from the never ending rain and looked at him standing there, dripping wet, and taking up the doorway. His eyes were on the plate of food that sat untouched by the bed. "The horses need hay," he said. Eowyn nodded, unable to rise. He walked to her bedside and sat facing her, his fingers brushed the side of her face lovingly. He smiled down at her but she only turned away. "Eowyn," Aragorn breathed, moving her hair, but she would not look at him.

"You should have saved her," she said coldly.

Aragorn felt her words drive into him like a dagger. He stood. "It's late, he said. "I'm going to stay the night in Bree." And with that he left.

..::..

Aragorn walked his horse toward the path that lead away from their small home and onto the main road. All he could think of or hear in his head were Eowyn's words, they cut into him over and over. He mounted his horse and looked back at the cottage, he stared at their small home, imagining Eowyn lying on the bed, tears on her cheeks. He felt torn in two directions. He heard her words in his ears and felt anger and hurt rise up inside of him. She acted as if he had left her to deliver the dead child alone, and could miraculously raise a child to life that had never drawn a breath. But he was leaving her now and so his heart was ripped the other way as well. He saw her in his mind's eye as he ran into the bedroom, how scared and heartbroken she had looked. All he wanted to do was touch her, and to make her understand that his heart had been broken as well, but she wouldn't even look at him. "It's only a night," he told himself.

He turned his back and rode off into the growing dusk. Half an hour later he was at the gates of Bree. He pulled his hood up over his head as the drops of water grew into a downpour. The haggard gatekeeper slid the small peephole open and peered into the night. "Who's there?" he crackled. When he saw Aragorn on his dark horse with his cloak pulled up hiding his face the man cowered.

"Let me in," Aragorn said, in no mood for opposition. "I need to rest my horse and stay the night. I will do no harm to your precious town." The gatekeeper nodded slowly and opened the gate. Aragorn's horse walked through of its own accord and into the town. He left the animal in the stables of the Prancing Pony Inn and throwing a coin at the stable boy walked through the door.

Inside, the air was warm and men stumbled around in the firelight. Aragorn strode through them to the bar, tapping a coin on the counter, his head down and his hood still covering his face. "Strider?" the innkeeper asked, approaching him with caution.

Aragorn nodded. "A drink, if you please," he said dryly, his teeth clenched.

"Beer?" the innkeeper asked.

"Something harder," Aragorn answered.

"Some of the rye brew then?" the innkeeper offered.

Aragorn nodded. When the drink was set in front of him Aragorn stared at the amber liquid for a minute then opened his mouth and drank the glass in a single gulp. The innkeeper's eyes widened and poured him another glass. Aragorn nodded and laid the gold coin on the counter. "See that it doesn't go empty," he said, lifting the glass. The man took the coin greedily and watched as Aragorn walked to the back of the big room.

Aragorn sat at the farthest table, he could find then pulled his pipe from his belt and lit it, holding it in his mouth and pulling his hood up once more. He blew out the candle and leaned back into the darkness.

..::..

Eowyn flew up out of the bed, her feet hitting the floor with a thud. She gasped, breathing hard. "It was only a dream," she told herself. "Only a dream." She stood up and walked to the window, her body numb to the cold. Her hand moved to her stomach, it had been almost a week since the night she lost the baby and five days since Aragorn had left. "One night," she said. "He said he would be gone for one night." Eowyn sighed and ran her hands over her face. She tried to stop the tears from coming but they streamed down her face uncaringly. She looked up out the window and choked on a sob. She fell to her knees then slumped to the ground until she was lying on her back in the box of light coming in through the window. Eowyn felt her lungs clench and she thought her heart was going to stop. She had never known sadness like this could be possible, that a person could feel so alone and forsaken. She closed her eyes and fell back to sleep.

..::..

"Eowyn," a voice said. "Eowyn," it insisted.

A hand grabbed her shoulder but she didn't want wake up, to return to the room, to the smell of death that she thought hung in the air. The nightmares had turned to pleasant dreams where she had walked the fields of Rohan with Aragorn and her daughter. She felt the hand let go and she almost smiled, they must have given up. But cold fingers pressed into her neck, feeling for a heartbeat. Her blue eyes opened and she looked up at one of Arwen's brothers. "I'm not dead," she said dryly.

Elladan jumped and looked down at her face. "Thank the Valar," he said. "I didn't want to have to tell Arwen that, we would have had a double grave."

Eowyn snorted. "Forgive me for not wanting to spend eternity with you." Elladan smiled and stood up from where he crouched, he gave Eowyn his hand and pulled her to her feet. "What are you doing here?" she asked, not unkindly.

"Aragorn has come to Rivendell with four Hobbits, one near dead by a Nazgul blade. My father thinks there is something about this Hobbit. Something that he carries is powerful."

Eowyn lifted her eyebrows. "A powerful Hobbit?" she asked. "They're half my height, maybe a third of yours; what could be powerful about that?"

Elladan shrugged. "You know my father, for him to say that anything other than an Elf is of any significance is amazing."

Eowyn nodded. "So you've come to bring me to Aragorn then," she said. "He couldn't come himself, or is it that he would not see me."

Elladan shook his head. "My father demanded that he stay until the council along with the Hobbits. It was Aragorn who bid me to come." Elladan smiled. "And I couldn't give up the chance to escort you myself."

Eowyn rolled her eyes and walked to the door of the cottage. "There is something I must do before we go," she said.

..::..

Eowyn knelt beside the small grave and for the first time now she could not cry. She simply sat staring down at the fresh earth. Elladan waited behind her, leaning on the wet bark of a tree, his face sad. "I'm sorry," he said. Eowyn turned to look at him in the moonlight. "I'm sorry this life had to end." Eowyn looked at his Elven face glowing in the moonlight, understanding. "Aragorn is a king," he said. "He may not have any desire to sit upon the throne of Gondor but it was what he was born to do, he cannot run forever."

Eowyn stood and walked back to the house without a word, she pulled the hood of her cloak up over her head and walked through the front door. Elladan watched, confused as she disappeared then reemerged with a lit torch in her hand. She walked a few paces then threw the torch into the small house with all her might.

Elladan had moved to stand just behind her, for a few seconds nothing happened then with a burst of heat and light the house caught flames. Fire rolled from the doors and broke the windows, sending glass and bits of wood flying forward. Elladan's arms flew to his face, but Eowyn turned and walked to the horses, putting a few small things into the pockets of her clothes. She pulled herself up and sat on the horses' back. "Are you coming?" she asked. Elladan looked at her then back to the house, his face filled with shock.


	2. Poison And Wine

**Summary: Songfic to Poison and Wine by The Civil Wars watch?v=WfzRlcnq_c0 . After a month of silence Aragorn and Eowyn finally talk about their daughter and their future. Rated K+ by Savannah (Eowyn & Aragorn) (Arwen & Legolas)**

December 24-26, 3018

Eowyn stood alone in the gardens of Rivendell, her arms crossed over her chest; the moonlight gave the world a cool glow. "What are you doing out here all alone?" a voice said behind her. Eowyn didn't have to turn around to know who it was, his presence was so familiar to her that she felt bare without it. Aragorn walked up closer to her, standing a small distance away. "Eowyn," he said under his breath. He reached out her, wanting to touch her, to comfort her but his hand dropped. "Eowyn, look at me." She turned and for the first time he saw the tear track down her cheeks. Aragorn stepped to her, his hands resting on her arms but she shrugged him off.

"Don't touch me," she said, her voice breaking. Aragorn almost fell back, his hands dropped away and he sucked in a breath. "I'm sorry," Eowyn said, her eyes dropping to the ground again. "I can't."

"Why haven't you spoken to me since you arrived? Why when you see me do you turn and walk the other way? Eowyn, why won't you look at me?"

Eowyn let out a breath, new tears streaming down her face. "I can't, Aragorn. I can't because your face reminds me of what could have been. Our daughter, Aragorn, she's dead and then you left me." She took a step towards him, her bare feet making imprints in the grass. "I was alone, I've never been so alone, and you were the one who left me that way. You don't know, you could never understand how I felt."

Aragorn touched her hand, her body relaxing slightly into him. "I do, Eowyn; I know because I felt the same way after she died, but you wouldn't speak to me, Eowyn, you wouldn't even move from the bed."

Eowyn looked up at him, his hand still holding hers. "It wasn't supposed to be like this," she said. "All I wanted was to be with you. The three of us in our own little world, a world where no one could touch us. No more danger, no more tears. I can't cry anymore, Aragorn. I don't want to cry over you, you are the person I love the most and the person who I can't even look at."

Aragorn took her face in his hands. "I love you more than anything, Eowyn. I can't live without you."

Tears rolled down Eowyn's cheeks. "I know," she said. "I love you, but I can't be with you." She held his hand to her cheek. She looked up at him, her blue eyes shining in the moonlight. Aragorn leaned down and kissed her slow and gently, savoring the sweet taste of her mouth and the softness of her lips on his then pulled away, leaving the garden without looking back. Eowyn watched him go, tears rolling down her face. She let herself sink into the grass, her dress pooling around her. She looked up at the stars and let the feeling of the hole inside her grow until it devoured her.

..::..

The sun shone bright, the winter sky cloudless. Eowyn walked through Rivendell tying and untying the strings to her saddlebag, trying to numb the pain she felt in every part of her. When she finally reached the stables she ran her hand over the dabbled face of her horse, the feeling so familiar to her, it was comforting. The horse whinnied, pressing its face into her hand. She smiled and leaned into the animal, resting her face on its neck.

"Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?" a voice said, making her jump. Eowyn turned to see Arwen standing behind her. Arwen smiled sadly at the tears on Eowyn's cheeks and held out her arms. Eowyn fell into them, holding onto Arwen for dear life. "Aragorn told me," Arwen said, tears coming to her eyes as Eowyn cried in her arms. "I'm so sorry," she said into her hair, holding her friend tightly. "The children have been asking for you," Arwen said when Eowyn let her go. "I told them to wait outside, do you want to see them?"

Eowyn hesitated then nodded, thinking of the two laughing children. Arwen walked to the big doors and waved to her children waiting outside with their nursemaid. Eowyn had to smile as the twins ran at her, practically falling over one another to get to her. "Leonid." She laughed, picking the boy up, she held him close as he wrapped his arms around her neck. She pressed the small body to her, kissing his hair. Arwen scooped Alida up from Eowyn's legs, standing across from her but Alida reached out for Eowyn. Eowyn shifted Leonid to her hip and took Alida in her free arm. "When did you guys get so heavy?" she asked, huffing. Eowyn bent down, letting Leonid slide down her legs till his feet touched the ground, taking his small hand.

Arwen smiled as Alida touched Eowyn's wet cheek. "Aunt Eowyn is sad," she said.

Eowyn's eyes widened. "They can speak the common tongue?" she asked.

Arwen shook her head, exasperated. "It's all Legolas," she said. "I say teach them to speak at all then teach them another language but….He's not very good at listening."

Eowyn laughed, putting Alida down. The two children took off out of the stable, outside they could hear them giggling and their nursemaid yelling, trying to catch them. "They take after their father in more ways than one I see." Arwen nodded. Eowyn walked to her horse, picking the saddle bag off of the floor and strapping it onto the horse's back. "Will you tell Aragorn that I'm going back to Rohan?" she asked.

Arwen's eyes widened. "You haven't told him you were leaving, or said goodbye to him at least?"

Eowyn looked at her. "In a way," she answered. "Please, just tell him when the council is finished."

Arwen touched her arm. "Eowyn, stay until then, tell him yourself. Change is coming, I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I see war in my dreams."

Eowyn climbed into the saddle, not able to look at Arwen. "Goodbye," she said. "Tell them I love them." With that she rode away. Arwen was left standing alone in the stable, a weight on her shoulders.

..::..

Aragorn stood beside Legolas and seven others with them. His mind spun, how could his entire world be so changed in only a few hours? As a group, the Fellowship left the courtyard then turned and went their separate ways. Arwen stood waiting for Legolas, the twins at her feet. Aragorn watched as Legolas walked to them, kneeling to hold his children close. For a moment, sadness was written in his every movement before he rose to Arwen. Arwen looked at Legolas, questions in her eyes. He ran his hand over her hair, pulling her close to him and kissing the top of her head. Aragorn couldn't hear their words but he knew when Legolas told Arwen that they leaving, Arwen sunk into him and held onto him tightly.

Aragorn turned and started to walk away, feeling as if he was watching a private moment, but he stopped when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see Arwen standing there. "It's Eowyn," she said, her eyes sad.

Aragorn turned, worried. "Is she alright?" he asked.

"I don't know," Arwen answered. "She's gone to Rohan, I tried to stop her." Aragorn looked away from Arwen, his face a mask. "She told me to tell you that she loves you, Aragorn." Arwen finished, her hand coming to rest on his cheek. Aragorn looked her for a second, his gray eyes filled with sadness then pulled away from her and walked away.

A second later Legolas came up behind her, holding a twin in both arms. "What's going on?" he asked, handing her one of the small children then placing his now free hand on the small of her back.

"Eowyn left."

Legolas looked slightly shocked. He turned back to Arwen bringing his hand up to cup her cheek, running over her skin to rest on her neck. "We leave in the morning," he said. Arwen nodded and rested her forehead on his chest, trying to hold onto him forever. A cool wind picked up pieces of Arwen's silky hair, the sun set around the quiet family as they stood simply holding one another.


	3. Hold Back The River

**Summary: Songfic to Hold Back the River by James Bay watch?v=mqiH0ZSkM9I . The Fellowship sets out for their journey. Rated T by Caitie (Arwen & Legolas) **

December 25-26, 3018

Arwen watched Legolas pack his bag from the bed, his usually straight back was bent from sadness. He stopped for a moment, the weight of the decision he had made earlier that day crushing him. Legolas stood up, straightening his back to stand tall and proud, but once he saw Arwen watching him, the heartache in her eyes, he shoulders fell again and he dropped back to the bed. Arwen crawled to the end of the bed and wrapped her arms around Legolas from behind. One of his hands came up to hold both of hers.

On the other side of the room the twins slept peacefully, Legolas could just make out their small faces through the gaps in their cribs. They were two years old now, what would happen if he wasn't able to come back to them? They were still young, they wouldn't remember him. The thought made his eyes water.

"Why did I volunteer?" he said so quietly that Arwen almost didn't hear him. "I have a family, why did I do this?"

Arwen's arms tightened around him. "Because it's who you are, you've always been the hero, Legolas. We're still going to be here when you come back."

"But what if I don't come back?"

Arwen's arms loosened and she shifted so that she sat beside her husband, her arms still looped around his neck. "You're going to come back," she said quietly, kissing his cheek. "Legolas. He turned his face towards her. "You're going to come back to us."

"But…"

"No!" Arwen interrupted him. "You can't talk like that, Legolas. You're going to come back me, I'm not giving you choice."

Legolas smiled a little, if anyone could convince death to go away it would be Arwen. One of his hands came up to rest on her cheek, his thumb brushing against her soft skin. He pulled her closer to kiss her lips and got lost in the taste of her.

..::..

Aragorn threw his few belongings into his pack and absentmindedly watched the fire crackle in the fireplace. His mind was far away from this place though and so was his heart. The events of the day had happened in a blur, he couldn't even remember volunteering to go to Mordor but a piece of him told him to pack. All he could think of was her. She left him, without even saying goodbye. He should be surprised, but he wasn't, he couldn't be, not after everything that had happened. That didn't make it any easier for him though. It still hurt him.

He stopped packing and looked out the window to see the moonlight shining brightly down on the world below. Where was she? He wondered. Aragorn didn't doubt that Eowyn was safe, she was more than capable of protecting herself. He thought about praying but they never heard or helped him before, why would they now? His father and mother were dead, his daughter had gone to join them. The only family he had left was Eowyn and she had abandoned him now too.

That's why he volunteered he realized. He had nothing left so it only made sense to say yes. His thoughts turned to Legolas. Why had he said yes? He had a wife and children, he couldn't leave them, but he was.

Aragorn turned back to the fire, his sword belt rested on a chair in front of the fireplace. He pulled the blade from its sheath and watched the fires reflection dance across the metal, lost in thought.

..::..

Arwen lay in bed wide awake, her head rested on Legolas' bare chest, listening to each beat as if the next might never come. She didn't want to let him go, if she did she might not ever get him back. She closed her eyes tightly, abandoning such thoughts. He will come back, she knew it, this would not be the last time she held him.

Instead Arwen thought about time. She had heard a saying once, that time and tide wait for no man. Time was a river, she had realized that when her mother left her, but now she felt that more than she had ever felt it before. No matter how hard you tried you could not stop time, nor can you stop a river from traveling it course. But right now, at this moment, Arwen tried her hardest as she watched the sun start its slow journey into the sky.

Legolas stirred beneath her and she felt his hand come up to stroke her back. She turned her head upwards to look at him. "You're already awake," Legolas said groggily. Arwen nodded against his chest. "How long have you been awake?"

"I don't know," Arwen whispered. She sat up and looked into Legolas' eyes, they were so blue that Arwen often got lost in their depths. "I have something for you." Standing up from the bed Arwen slipped her robe on, tying it loosely around her waist. She walked over to her vanity and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a wooden box before climbing back into bed.

Legolas sat up straight as his wife came to rest next to him. "What's that?" he asked, having never seen the box before.

"My mother gave this to me before she left for the Undying Lands. She said it would keep me safe and now I want you to have it, to keep you safe." Arwen opened the lid on the wooden box to reveal a silver necklace with white diamonds.

Legolas had seen Celebrian wearing the necklace once before. "Arwen, I can't take this."

"Yes, you can." She lifted the necklace from the box and opened the clasp. Leaning forward she put the necklace on him and fastened it behind his neck. "As long as you wear this I will be protecting you." She rested her hand on his cheek and Legolas covered it with one of his own, relishing in the touch of his wife.

..::..

The sun hid behind a thin layer of clouds as the Fellowship stood waiting at the gates of Rivendell. Elrond spoke his parting words to them but Legolas didn't hear any of it. His mind was occupied with Arwen. He memorized everything about her; her soft grey-blue eyes, her porcelain skin, and the curves of her body in the purple dress she wore.

Aragorn's hand came to rest on his shoulder forcing him back to reality. "It's time," he said.

Legolas looked back at Arwen, her eyes were sad as she took one hesitant step towards him. He closed the space between them and held her tightly in his arms, kissing the top of her head. He looked at his children, Arwen's brothers were both holding a child. He walked up to them and kissed the top Alida and Leonid's heads before returning to stand beside Aragorn.

Frodo started towards the gate, the Fellowship following behind him slowly. Legolas was the last the in the line and right as he stepped foot through the gate he took one last look at Arwen. He saw the tears start to trail down her face and his heart broke as he turned away from her.


	4. With or Without You

**Summary: Eowyn arrives in Edoras, Arwen misses her husband, and Aragorn and Legolas come to a realization (shitty summary). Rated T by Savannah (Eowyn & Aragorn) (Arwen & Legolas)**

January 16, 3019

(Words written in bold type are spoken in Elvish)

Eowyn walked slowly through the stables of Edoras, so sore she could barely put one foot in front of the other. She looked down at herself half expecting to see her pregnant belly, but it was gone. She held her hand, holding onto wall as she walked. She thought about the last three days; she had rode day and night, not even stopping to eat, trying so hard just to get home to Edoras. But now that hope felt hollow, why would this place be any comfort to her?

"Lady Eowyn," she heard a shocked voice say behind her. Turning, she saw Hama, she tried to smile at him. "Are you alright? When did you get here?" he asked, coming to stand beside her.

"It was a long ride," was all Eowyn could manage. Hama took her arm and they walked the rest of the way through the stable together. He helped her all the way to the great doors of Meduseld. "Thank you, Hama," she said with a small smile.

"I'll send my sister to your chambers, she will run a hot bath for you," he said, looking down at the woman he had since she was a child. "It will make you feel better.

Eowyn nodded and turned to the huge doors that stood open to her. It had been such a long time since she had been back to her home. The last time she had been here she had been with Aragorn, they had flirted so much with one another, danced even. Looking back, she had needed him so much then, she thought. She held back tears, wishing his huge presence was with her now.

With a deep breath she stepped into the large open room. No one sat on the throne and the room seemed completely empty, smoke from the fire pits hanging in the air. She walked through the hall until she saw a small group of people sitting on one of the benches in the far corner of the room. Eomer sat, his arms stretched over the back of the bench, two women tuck under his arms and the floor by his feet. Eowyn rolled her eyes. Some things never change, she thought to herself.

Eomer stopped talking and looked up when he saw someone walking through the hall. As soon as he saw who it was he jumped up and ran to her, tripping over the girl who sat on the floor and practically crashing into Eowyn. She laughed as he crushed her into his chest, holding her so tightly she could barely breathe. "I've missed you so much," he said into her hair.

Eowyn clung to him. "I've missed you too," she said, breathing in his familiar smell.

When he finally let her go, Eomer looked long and hard at her face, brushing away her hair. "Tell me everything after you've eaten and slept." Eowyn half smiled, the connection between them not lost by their time spent apart. "Someone get my sister's room ready and get Hanna," Eowyn called to the girls, scattering them. He turned back to Eowyn, his hand still resting on her face. "I'm glad you're back."

..::..

Arwen sat by a huge window, open from the floor to the ceiling, watching the twins play in the grass. She felt a tear roll down her cheek, she wiped it away quickly as Leonid and Alida ran towards her. She smiled at them sweetly, their small faces bright with the slight chill. Alida climbed up onto her mother's lap, wrapping her arms around her neck, able to sense Arwen's sadness even through her smiles.

" **When will Ada be home?"** Leonid asked from her feet.

Arwen lifted him up onto the chair beside her, running her hand over his soft hair. Arwen looked at the child, not sure what to tell him. **"Ada will come home as soon as he can,"** she said, rubbing her thumb over his cheek. Leonid nodded, cuddling into her side. She stared out the window once again, holding her children close to her, wondering where Legolas was and what he doing, if he missed her with the same full ache she felt without him.

..::..

Eowyn stood, slowly peeling off her clothes, alone in the bathing room. Hanna had added oils and sweet smelling flowers to the steaming water. Eowyn looked at herself in the long brass mirror that had stood there since she was a child.

"There was a child," Hanna said, shocking Eowyn out of her daze. Eowyn stared at her, not comprehending her words. "Your body betrays you," she said, looking at Eowyn's soft middle where before it had been hard, defined with muscles. "Where is the baby?" Hanna asked gently.

Eowyn felt tears spring into her eyes, unasked for. "She died," Eowyn said, then without hesitation slipped into the tub of hot water. She felt Hanna's hand moving her hair away from her neck. The woman who had been the closest thing to a mother, her touch gently and comforting.

"Oh child," she said, "rest now."

..::..

Arwen lay in bed, she felt cold and her sleep was restless. In her dreams she heard a child crying, the voice growing louder and louder until she woke completely, hearing Leonid crying in bed. "Legolas," she said, reaching for where his body should have been. But when she felt nothing but the emptiness of the bed beside her she remembered he was gone. **"Momma,"** she heard Leonid call through his tears. She sat up, grabbing her robe and hurried to his bed. She lifted the small boy's body into her arms, holding him close and rocking him back and forth until he fell back asleep.

..::..

Eowyn lay on her bed, leaning on her brother's side, both of them leaning on a mountain of pillows. Eomer wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. He leaned his head back, looking up at the ceiling and sighed as he finished telling Eowyn about Grima and his strange hold on their uncle. "And now Theodred is gone hunting Orc packs all the time, he's running away."

Eowyn nodded. "I have to tell you something, everything," she said, lifting herself up and starting into his eyes, identical to her own. Eomer nodded slowly. "It's all been Grima, he is the start of it all.

Eomer's brow knit together and he touched Eowyn's arm. "What do you mean?"

Eowyn looked out the window of her room for a second, sucking in a breath. Then, in a rush, she told him everything. How Grima had raped her, and why she had run away. Eomer sat and listened to her, his body tense and rage coursing through his body like fire in his blood. He rose from the bed in one swift movement. "No, Eomer!" Eowyn yelled, reaching for him.

He shrugged her off. "I will kill the worm," he said, starting for the door.

Eowyn lunged for him, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt. "No, Eomer, wait!" she said, her voice firm.

He turned back towards her, fire in his eyes. "I could kill him a thousand times for laying a finger on you. The fire turned back to the cool blue waters of his eyes and he bent, laying his hand on Eowyn's neck, running his thumb over her cheek lovingly. "For what he has done to you he deserves rot in a pit of fire."

"I know," Eowyn said, putting her hand on his arm. "He will," she finished pulling her brother back down to sit beside her. "But not today."

Eomer let his head fall into his hands. "I'm sorry, Eowyn," he said, his voice barely over a whisper. "I should have known, I should have seen." Eowyn shook her head and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I failed you," he said, looking up at her with tears in his eyes.

Eowyn pulled him close, his head resting on her shoulder. "It's not your fault," she said, tears running down her face. The wetness of her brother's tears soaking through the fabric at her shoulders.

..::..

Legolas laughed, his heart light for the first time in days. He watched as the Hobbits piled food onto their plates and putting into their mouths faster than he thought possible. "We're going to have to start rationing food soon if you don't stop eating so much," Aragorn said, smiling.

Legolas watched the light on their curly heads and thought of his own children's curls. His smile faded and he stood, walking away from the fire to tree line with his back to the Fellowship, fighting the pain in his heart. He heard footsteps behind him but didn't need to turn around to know who was standing beside him in silence. "All I want is to be with them again," he said softly.

Aragorn nodded, he didn't know what to tell his friend or how to comfort him. He thought of Eowyn riding alone, her heart broken; he sighed and looked up to the sky. "What has happened to us?" Aragorn asked. "Just as we thought it was all over, the fighting, the traveling."

"It has really just begun," Legolas interrupted.

Aragorn nodded, looking at Legolas. "It has just begun," he repeated.

 **Author's Note: While not be completely dedicated to the song** **With or Without You** **by U2, this storyline was heavily inspired by it and it seemed to be the perfect name.**


	5. To Be In Your Arms

**Summary: Will Aragorn and Eowyn reconcile when he arrives in Edoras with what's left of the Fellowship? Rated M (for sexual content) by Savannah (Eowyn & Aragorn)**

March 2, 3019

Aragorn stood staring at the man he had once known as a king, now a frail old man laughing in Gandalf's face. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of white and a small person dart past him. In a flash he grabbed her arm. "Wait," he said, looking back up as Gandalf worked his magic, banishing Saruman from the king.

"Let me go," he heard a voice say, and an elbow connected hard into his abdomen.

But he knew that voice and in shock his hands relaxed their grip. For the first time he looked down at the woman pushing out of his arms and felt his breath catch in his lungs.

Eowyn ran for her uncle, not seeing the faces of the people standing around her. Her only thought was of Theoden, her king, and the only family she had left in Edoras. She smiled at him, his hand coming to rest on her cheek, her eyes brimming with tears. She turned around to see who had worked this miracle, but she looked past Gandalf to the man who had held her back from her king and who had held her so many other times.

Blue eyes connected with grey and Eowyn's breath went out of her lungs so that she felt completely hollow inside. She blinked and the water fell from her eyes onto her cheeks. "Dark have been my dreams of late," Theoden said, his voice booming over Eowyn. She turned back to him, his voice changing back to that of a younger man, the voice she had known as a child.

..::..

The night had fallen silent and still, a heaviness lay over the city. Eowyn sat on her bed and watched as her door slowly swung open. She knew the body that stood silhouetted in the door. She saw the stoop in his shoulders, her pain and sorrowed mirrored in his body. She remembered the little cottage and the grave outside it, she hated that memory and the drop in her heart every time she saw it in her mind's eye, and in that moment she hated Aragorn for bringing back that heartbroken feeling. But seeing him standing there in her doorway; his body bent, his head hanging, she loved him so fiercely she was overwhelmed by the sight of him. She dropped her eyes, wishing he would leave and wishing she could take him in her arms and make his hurt disappear, the two sides of her heart fighting each other.

Aragorn took a step through the door. "Eowyn," he breathed her name as if it was the sweetest sound to ever leave his lips. "Will you have me?" he asked, his voice broken and vulnerable.

"Oh, Aragorn," she said standing and stepping close to his chest, her hand resting on his cheek. "I cannot live without you."

Aragorn looked down into the pools of her eyes turned black by the darkness, and felt the weariness he had felt melt away from him. He leaned down and kissed her, her taste like water on the lips of the dying. His hands moved to her body, pulling her close to him, her form fitting perfectly with his. He moaned into their kiss, his hands roaming over her.

Eowyn felt herself begin to shake, Aragorn held her tighter to him, crushing her body to his. "You're shaking," he said, parting their lips but still holding onto her.

Eowyn shook her head, dropping down from her tip toes. "Lay with me," she said, taking his hand and leading him to the bed. They laid down together, the moonlight pouring in through the window, making a box of light on the bed. They lay pressed together, side by side, facing one another, slowly losing themselves in each other. "I love you," Eowyn said, her chest heaving with their kisses. Aragorn pressed his lips to her forehead.

..::..

Eowyn lay beneath Aragorn's powerful body, her hands roaming over his back as he pushed into her painfully slow and sweet. Her legs moved in almost slow motion to wrap around his hips, her breathing slow and heavy. Her eyes drifted shut and she moaned, the feel of him inside of her, his skin touching hers was perfection in itself. Aragorn's head was buried in her neck, one arm laying under her back, pressed between her and the bed, his hand clasping her shoulder as if he held onto her for life itself.

Their love making was slow and rhythmic, so intense Eowyn felt as if she could burst with it. She gasped, her hands moving to Aragorn's hips. At her touch Aragorn felt his heart beat harder, felt fire rush through his body, every muscle clenched brought to life by her touch. "Eowyn, Eowyn, Eowyn…" he breathed into her ear. His arm snaking out from under her and rested on her hip, pulling her to him, making their contact tighter. Eowyn shuddered involuntarily as he came inside of her; her back arched off the bed, her eyes closed in the warm, sweet feeling that filled her.

White light covered their bodies, the full moon shining in through the window. A cool breeze came in from the window, the air cold on the tear tracks running down over her temples. She opened her eyes and saw Aragorn leaning over her, his dark hair falling into his face and there were tear tracks on his face as well. Eowyn's mind and heart filled up then with love for him so strong she could think of nothing else. She felt it boil up inside of her until it drove her mad. Then with a rush and a sucking gasp she felt herself come.

Aragorn smiled down at her, his hand coming to rest on her cheek. He leaned down and brushed their lips together, tasting his own salty tears mixed with hers. Eowyn's eyes opened and she looked up at his grey eyes as soft as velvet and red around the rims. "Never leave me," she said, wrapping her arms around him, pulling him down so he lay on top of her.

Aragorn buried his face into her necking, slipping both arms around her back breathing in the smell of her. He rolled to the side, still holding her closer than he thought possible, until their two bodies became one. "I will never leave you," he said in her ear.


	6. Before The Storm

**Summary: Everyone is tense as the Uruk-hai army approaches. Rated K+ by Savannah (Eowyn & Aragorn)**

March 3, 3019

(Words in bold type are spoken Elvish)

"Eowyn!" Legolas called, pushing his way through the crowd of people, watching as she stood frozen, terror in her eyes as she scanned the crowd not finding Aragorn. Eowyn's eyes found Legolas' through the bodies of men all around them, tears already cutting tracks down her face. He pushed the last of the way to her, desperate to comfort her.

"Where is he?" she asked, her voice breaking as she began to shake. "Why isn't he with you?"

Legolas wrapped an arm around Eowyn and pulled her to him, his other hand pressing her face to his chest. "He fell," he said quietly. "He was pulled by a warg over the cliffs and into the river," he said, stroking her hair and wishing with all his might that he could take away even a little of the pain she felt. He felt tears slip from his own eyes.

Eowyn screamed, taking fistfuls of his clothes; her eyes squeezed shut, her mouth open with sobs that wracked her whole body. Suddenly she pulled away from him and bolted, her long hair streaming behind her.

"Eowyn!" Legolas yelled, reaching out after her but she was already across the crowd, throwing herself onto the back of a horse and charging for the gates. Men threw themselves out of her path. Legolas ran toward the wall, watching her ride down the steep ramp and into the long grass, not slowing for anything.

..::..

Aragorn lay in the shallow river, feeling the cool water rush around him. His entire arm and shoulder had gone completely numb, blood oozing slowly from the open would in the blue water. He lay in the water, drifting in and out of consciousness, too weak to move. He thought of Arwen and Elrond standing over him as they had down when he was a child.

 _Arwen leaned over him, wiping sweat from his forehead. The tiny bow looked up into her eyes. "I love you, Arwen," he said, his voice small and weak._

 _The Elf leaning over him smiled like an angel and leaned farther down to brush her lips on his forehead._ _ **"Sleep now, little Estel,"**_ _she said._

The dream ended, both Aragorn and the little boy slipped into darkness.

..::..

Eowyn pushed her horse onward, over the banks of the river, looking for anything that could lead her to Aragorn or his body, she didn't know what she would find. Hours had gone by and she had looked everywhere along the banks where the warg had been. She felt tears slipping down her face as she heard Legolas' voice in her mind, over and over again say, _"He fell"_. She swung her leg over the horse's back and slipped down into the cool shallow water, landing with a splash, tears trailing down her face into the river. She lifted a shaking hand to her mouth, her body starting to shake with sobs as she sunk to her knees, cold water rushing around her. She screamed, tilting her head back, her voice choked and raw. Her hands balled into fists, the blue sky stretched out above her, merciless and cloudless.

..::..

Aragorn woke with a start, pulled from his dreamed and the darkness that clouded his sight into the blinding brightness of midday. He had heard something in his dream, a scream, a voice he knew as well as his own. "Eowyn," he breathed. His eyes blinked against the sunlight, he rolled slowly onto his stomach, water rushing into his mouth. He choked, pushing himself up out of the flow. Pain stabbed his shoulder and with a cry he pulled himself out of the water and fell backwards down onto the rocks. Everything around him faded into nothing.

"Aragorn!" a voice yelled and footsteps sounded on the loose stone, half falling and half running toward him. His head spun and he felt himself slipping closer and closer to the end. Cool fingers touched his face and his eyes opened, a face hovering over his. "Aragorn," Eowyn said through her tears, leaning down and wrapping him in her arms. She shook as she held onto him. "I thought I had lost you," she sobbed into his ear, rocking back and forth. His arms moved inches, taking all of his strength to touch her arm, his long fingers wrapping around her elbow and holding tightly. Eowyn felt his touch and moved her arm so her fingers laced around his. "Legolas," she said, moving to look at his face. "He told me you were dead." She leaned down and kissed him. "I believed him." Her breath brushed his lips.

Aragorn's hand moved to her neck, pulling her down to his lips, feeling his strength slowly return to him. "I told you I would never leave you," he said with a smile.

Eowyn sat up and looked around for her horse, she whistled sharply and a few moments later the horse came trotting beside her, Aragorn's own horse, Brego, beside it. A smile spread across Eowyn's face and she commanded the horse in Rohirrim. Slowly, the horse knelt beside Aragorn then lay down. Aragorn's fingers wrapped around Brego's mane and he pulled himself onto the animals back. Eowyn was left kneeling on the ground as Brego stood, Aragorn haunced on his back. Then she stood to climb her own mount.

Together they rode over plains, the sun beating down on them. "Look," Aragorn said, pulling his horse to a stop, staring at the dark mass moving towards Helm's Deep.

"The army assembles," Eowyn said, coming to a halt beside him. "They'll be there by nightfall." Aragorn nodded, a wind blowing on them both, black storm clouds blowing in.

..::..

Legolas stood by the wall, scanning the horizon for any sign of Eowyn. His eyes finding the army, too far away for human eyes to see. He hung his head and breathed deep, if Eowyn found herself anywhere near that army the Uruk-hai would slaughter her and carry her body in front of them to battle on a spike.

He tried to worry for her, to curse her for her stupidity and rashness but all he could think of was Arwen and his children. He wondered how big the twins had become, if they spoke the common tongue yet, and if they even remembered him. He heard footsteps behind him and a grunt that could only be Gimli.

"What's the matter, laddie," he said, clapping Legolas on the back.

Legolas winced, their height difference making it look as if Gimli had just walked up and smacked his backside. He looked down and smiled at his friend. "Nothing," he said, pushing Eowyn, and Arwen and the twins out of his mind. "Only the fate of Middle Earth."

Gimli grunted. "Aren't we all," he said and walked away.

Legolas looked back over the fields of Rohan until he saw two horses riding side by side. "It's not possible," he said to himself before running to the gate. "You look terrible," he said looking over Aragorn as he stood leaning on Eowyn.

Aragorn grinned. "And you look as good as ever."

Legolas smirked. "Get some rest," he said, growing solemn. "We have a war to fight."

Aragorn nodded and walked away with Eowyn. "Or a war to die in," he said under his breath.

Eowyn walked through the winding pathways until she found a room with a bed. The women had children were already being moved into the farthest caves, making Helm's Deep feel like a ghost town. Aragorn lay down on the bed, his eyes already drifting shut. Eowyn leaned him and kissed him lovingly then turned to leave.

Aragorn grabbed her hand gently. "Lay with me," he said.

..::..

Eowyn walked along the paths and hallways of the keep, searching for fresh air and the wide expanses of sky. When she finally reached the walls she stood and leaned on the stone, breathing in the air. Her eyes scanned the horizon searching for the Uruk-hai even though she knew they were too far away for human eyes. She heard footsteps and looked up to see Legolas standing beside her. Eowyn took a shaky breath and sank down to the ground, letting head fall back against the wall. "We're all going to die," she said. Legolas sat down beside her, looking up at the dark clouds crawling over the sky. They sat there for a long time in silence. Legolas ran his thumb over her knuckles, she looked up and smiled. "I'm tired," Eowyn said. "Tired of this life, tired of fighting for our lives every day."

Legolas nodded. "It will be over soon, it can't last forever," he said.

Eowyn turned away from his slightly. "It will end one way or another," she said.

Legolas grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at him. "Do not lose hope, Eowyn," he said. "Then the enemy has won." Eowyn stared into his fierce blue eyes then nodded and walked away. Hope, he was only fooling himself, there were too many Uruk-hai coming. But Arwen and the twins were safe and that was all that mattered. Legolas took a last look over the battlefield. He couldn't tell if his heart beating so fast that he couldn't feel it or if it just wasn't beating at all.

..::..

Aragorn woke slowly, his eyes sliding open. The room was dark but he knew it couldn't be night already. He looked down to where Eowyn had been lying beside him but she was gone. He looked around the room but instead of finding her he saw armor waiting for him. He rose from the bed and started dressing. He stood just above to pull a fresh shirt over his bare chest when Eowyn slipped into the room. She walked to the bed and sat on the edge. Aragorn turned and looked at her. "What's wrong?" he asked, the muscles in his back twisting with the movement.

Eowyn looked up at him through dark eyelashes and a cloud of blond hair. "I am to stay in the caves with the women and children," she said, her voice sounding tired, sad and almost betrayed. "I can fight," she said, looking down again. "I'm not a child."

Aragorn walked to her and lifted her from her feet and into his arms and kissed her gently. "But you are a woman, are you not?" he said under his breath.

Eowyn looked up at him, a spark lighting in her eyes. "I can hold a sword better than half the men standing on those walls."

Aragorn bowed his head, still holding onto her waist. "I have no doubt," he said. "But the women in those caves are frightened and weak."

The spark lit into flames in Eowyn's eyes at his words. "Exactly why I don't belong with them. Aragorn, don't you see that?" She threw her hands in the air.

Aragorn took her hands in his and kissed her again. "That's why they need you, Eowyn, not all wars on fought on battlefields.

Eowyn looked down at her feet then wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Don't leave me," she said desperately. Aragorn held her small body close to his resting his face on her shoulder and breathing in the smell of her hair. "Promise me," she said, trying to hold him tighter. Aragorn nodded into her neck, breathing deep. Eowyn let go and sunk back down off her tip toes and walked towards the door. "They are sealing off the caves, I'll be with you after the battle," she said, opening it a crack and slipping through. At the last second she stopped and looked back at him. "Say the words."

Aragorn looked up at her, his grey shining. "I won't leave you."


	7. Once More

**Summary: A welcome surprise greets the people of Rohan as they wait for the Battle of the Hornburg to begin. Rated T by Caitie (Arwen & Legolas)**

March 3, 3019

 _Aaaooooo._ The sound of a war horn rang ominously through the air. The men of Rohan all froze in place. They had finally come, the Uruk-hai were finally here. The fear and anticipation of their arrival was over. _Aaaooooo._ The horn blew again in the cold winter air. The moonlight glinted off helmets of the Uruk-hai soldiers. They marched in formation, their feet pounding in unison as they marched across the bridge towards the keep. It was then as the moon peeked out from behind the clouds that they realized, it wasn't the Uruk-hai, it was the Elves with long bows in hand.

"Open the gate!" someone shouted from high up on the battlements. "Open the gate!" repeated another. With a groan the gate started to lift, the Elves slowly started to trickle through.

King Theoden descended a stone staircase, a look of confusion and wonderment on his face as he watched the Elves walk past him. The two Elves that stood at the head of the formation broke away and approached him. One was a man with long blonde hair and a deep red cloak hanging off of his broad shoulders. The other was a woman, and something about her long dark hair and her slender figure was so familiar to him.

"I bring word from Elrond," the woman started. "There once was an alliance between Elves and Men. Long ago we fought and died together." Theoden could hear someone running behind him and soon after Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli appeared on the staircase. The woman smiled when she saw them. "We come to honor that allegiance."

"Arwen," Aragorn said as he walked past Theoden. He wrapped his arms around the woman's shoulder, she embraced him back, but her eyes were watching someone else. Theoden turned to see Legolas staring back and all of a sudden it made perfect sense. This was Legolas' wife, he turned back to her. Aragorn moved on to awkwardly embrace the man beside Arwen. "You are most welcome," he said.

In unison the Elven soldier all turned their heads to look at their commanders, their bodies turning to follow suit. The butts of their long bows made a resounding thump as they came into contact with the stone floor. Arwen smiled, "We are proud to fight alongside men once more," she said.

Theoden continued to stare back in awe at a loss for words. Ten minutes ago they had no hope of winning this battle, but now, now they had a chance, more than just a chance.

"Haldir," Arwen said, looking to the man beside her. "Go with the king, see where we wants us."

"Of course, my lady," Haldir answered, approaching the king.

Legolas descended the rest of the steps in silence, this couldn't be real, she wasn't really here. Was she? "Say something," she said, her voice so familiar to him, the voice that had been haunting his dreams for the past three months. And suddenly he was moving towards her, pulling her close into his body and kissing her hard on the lips. She let out a breathy laugh that felt warm against his cold skin.

"You're not supposed to be here," he said, holding her face between his hands and looking deep in her soft blue eyes.

"I am supposed here," she said quietly. "I am always supposed to be with you."

"No, Arwen…" Legolas started.

"Yes, Legolas, I am," she said with such finality that Legolas didn't dare say anything back. "The Uruk-hai are at least another hour out or so, so we can either make the most of what little time we have or we can continue to argue. It's your choice."

..::..

Arwen's long white cloak lay in a rumpled heap on the dusty carpet of Legolas' room. Pieces of her silver armor were also scattered around the room, and Legolas' leather shoulder guards, various articles of clothing all discarded.

Their love was slow and soft, after three months of being apart it's what they needed. And when they were finished they just lay in the bed together, holding each other as close to themselves as they could. Legolas ran a hand through her long hair, twisting the intricate braids in his hand.

As much as Legolas hated that she was here, he was glad for it too. Deep inside of him he knew that she should be with Alida and Leonid, but he also knew he needed her there. There was nothing that inspired him to fight as hard as he could like the way she inspired him. But what about their children? What if something happened and they were left as orphans.

Somehow Arwen knew what he was thinking. She always knew. "We're going to go home to them," she said quietly.

"You don't know that," Legolas said.

"No," she answered. "I don't know that. But I do know that if we don't do what we have to do, there won't be a home to go back to."

Legolas kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer to him. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to banish the thought out of his head.

The men inside the keep were moving now, the Uruk-hai must have been spotted. It was time.


	8. In My Veins

**Summary: This is a songfic to In My Veins by Andrew Belle watch?v=q0KZuZF01FA . The Battle of the Hornburg has finally come. Rated T by Caitie (Arwen & Legolas)**

March 3-4, 3019

(Words written in bold type are spoken in Elvish)

Dark storm clouds blotted out the moonlight as Arwen and Legolas walked out of the keep. A crowd had gathered up on the battlements down the steep stone steps awaited the host she had brought with her from Rivendell and Lothlorien. The Torchlight reflected off of their silver helmets casting shadows on their emotionless faces. They stood unmoving as Arwen and Legolas descended the staircase as if they were carved of stone, only their cloaks waved in the cool night breeze. As Arwen stepped off of the last step the soldiers turned and stepped in unison to make a path for her between them. They faced her, still void of emotion and she looked back at them, her eyes blank.

The breeze picked up and Arwen's hair flew behind her as she walked amongst her soldiers. She stopped in the middle of the path and turned back to look at Legolas who watched from the steps. Men whispered above her as they watched the Elves. **"We could have stayed back home, in the safety of our forests and our mountains. How long would they have been safe for though? If Rohan fell, how long would it be before Saruman turned to us?"** Arwen looked at the faces of the men and women who would fight with her. **"Look around you!"** she gestured above her, to the men of Rohan who stood on the battlements. **"These are our brothers! Not just in arms, but in blood. When they cry, we cry; when they bleed, we bleed; and when they die, we'll die too!"** TheElves raised their bows then dropped the butts against the stone, a resounding thud rang ominously through the air. **"The Uruk-hai's are coming, and they aren't going to take prisoners, they will kill you, they will kill our brothers, our sisters, our wives and husbands, our children! They will show you no mercy, so won't show them any!"** The Elves dropped their bows against the stone again. Arwen turned to back to the battlements, King Theoden now stood at the top of the staircase. "King Theoden, we are yours." Arwen dropped to one knee, her entire host turning to face the king then dropping to follow their captain.

..::..

The rain made tinkling noises as it pattered against the bronze armor of the Elven archers. Not one person made noise as they waited anxiously for the Uruk-hai army. Though the world around them was black and their keen eyes could not penetrate the darkness they knew it would be soon. The quiet world would soon turn and they would wish for the anxious peace they felt now.

As befitting her station Arwen wore a cloak of vibrant red fabric and as the rain came down the cloak became heavier and heavier. She looked unseeing at the plains before her. Haldir stood to her right, he had thought this mission folly from the start. Not only that of the Elves bringing aid to Rohan but also of the Ring being given to Hobbit for protection. He couldn't help but think that if the Ring had been given to Aragorn or Legolas that all this could have been prevented.

The sound of armor rattling and many feet stomping brought Haldir and Arwen's attention to the battlefield. **"It is time,"** Arwen whispered. Her hand tightened on the grip of her bow. In the distance she could hear Aragorn, his voice passionate as he spoke to the archers. She turned her face to the right and saw Legolas, he was watching her, a solemn expression on his face.

Thunder cracked and lightning showed that the army of Uruk-hai were finally within sight, they stopped in front of the keep. They were an ominous sight to behold. All in black, their armor was thick and their weapons looked blunt but deadly. Arwen could just make out the white handprints on armor and helmets.

Arwen looked at the men of Rohan, so many of them were just children and even more of them were elderly. The fear she saw in their eyes was impossible to miss. A few yards to her left was a young boy, he couldn't have been more then thirteen years old. His hands were shaking as he tried to hold onto his bow. "Boy," she said. The boy turned to look at her through his damp sand colored hair. "Come here." Hesitantly the boy pushed through the few soldiers in between him and her. "What is your name?" she asked.

"Harmen," he answered.

"Harmen," Arwen said. "That's a brave name. I am Arwen." She looked the child from head to foot, looking at his rusted armor. "How old are you, Harmen?"

"I will be twelve in a month."

Arwen's heart broke. This boy wasn't even twelve years old yet and hear he was, about to fight for his country and maybe even give his life for it. She took her helmet off and held it out to Harmen. "Here, it's too heavy for me, but I think you're strong enough to wear it." Harmen took it and placed it on his head, his sandy hair pushed into his eyes. Gently, she brushed it out his face. "Now you look a proper warrior."

"Are we going to die?" he asked.

"One day everyone must die," Arwen answered. His head dropped. "But not tonight." She saw a spark of hope appear in his eyes. "Do you know how to use that weapon?" she asked.

Harmen nodded furiously. "My father taught me to hunt when I was little," he answered.

"That's good, I could use a strong man like you beside me tonight," she told him. "How would you like to stay here with me?" His eyes lit up at the prospect of fighting with the Elves and he nodded, a smile appearing on his face for the first time tonight. Arwen smiled down at him.

"My lady," Haldir said, holding his own helmet out to her. "Please take it."

Arwen shook her head. "I don't need it."

"If you say so."

Aragorn walked past her. "Are you ready?" he asked, looking into her eyes. Arwen nodded, her hand tightening even more around her bow. "Alright." He drew his sword.

Arwen watched a single arrow fly from somewhere to her left. **"Hold!"** The arrow went straight through the neck of an Uruk-hai on the front lines, he made a strangled noise and he fell lifelessly to the ground. It was a good shot if only the feeble old man had actually been aiming for it. The Uruk-hai army shouted and grunted, making all manner of strange noises, furious at the death of their comrade but not caring for his life in any way. They started toward the keep.

Arwen's dark hair clung to her forehead and face as the rain beat down harder. **"Prepare to fire!"** Aragorn shouted.

" **Archers!"** Arwen called as she raised her bow and readied an arrow. The rest of her men followed suit in unison, all poised and ready to shoot when commanded. Harmen watched, fascinated by the Elves as he too readied his bow.

" **Release arrows!"**

The sky was filled with as many arrows as there were stars, but still the Uruk-hai pressed on. They trampled over the bodies of the fallen unfazed by the death. Arwen watched every arrow as it soared and found her targets, watching enemy and enemy fall victim to her arrows.

..::..

Uruk-hai poured over the top of the battlements from their ladders. The bows had to be put away and the swords and knives were pulled out. Even through the close distance of the fighting Legolas was still able to shoot down his opponents. He could hear Gimli laughing, his deep belly laugh distinct as he killed the Uruk-hai. From the corner of his eye Legolas could still see Arwen, her long dark hair clung to her shoulders as she pulled _Hadafang_ out.

" **Legolas!"** Aragorn shouted from Arwen's direction. Legolas' keen eyes found him quickly. Aragorn's usual calm demeanor was shattered and replaced with a look of fear. He gestured down below where the Uruk-hai were forming. Suddenly he saw a torch light up and a figure ran towards the wall. **"Bring him down, Legolas!"** All at once he knew what they were doing. He pulled an arrow out and fast as lightning it struck the torch bearer. He kept running. **"Kill him! Kill him!"** Another arrow burrowed in his shoulder.

Time slowed, almost to a stop in the mere seconds as the torchbearer disappeared beneath the wall. Legolas looked up and found Arwen once more, she stood just above portion of wall the Uruk-hai have dove under. She was oblivious, too busy fighting off the Uruk-hai that surrounded her and her men, she had no idea of the danger she was in.

Legolas started to run to her then but he hadn't even taken one step before the battlements before him exploded. The force knocked him onto his back, falling against other archers and Uruk-hai. For a split second it was almost like it was day again, the world in front of him was bright white and dark rock fell like falling stars. Among the rocks and brick were soldiers, and with those soldiers was Arwen. His heart felt as if it had stopped. He tried to find her but it was all happening so fast, one second they were in front of him, the next they were hurtling away from the keep, lost from sight.

..::..

Arwen's head was pounding and her ears were ringing as she attempted to stand. She blinked against the fog in her eyes. What had happened? Where was she? She looked down at her hands, brown with mud. Her head was swimming with question all unanswerable. She knelt in the mud, people rushed past her making her dizzy. Her hands pressed against her temples. What was happening? She squeezed her eyes shut, the pounding in her head getting stronger.

Suddenly, hands were on her shoulders and through the pounding in her head she heard her name being called. She opened her eyes just a crack and saw two vibrant blue eyes staring at her. Opening her eyes the rest of the way she found worry mixed with relief in Legolas' eyes. "Arwen?" He pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her small shoulders. He sighed in relief. "You're alive," he said.

The ringing in Arwen's ears finally lessened to a bearable decibel. "Legolas," was all she said.

"I'm here," he said, looking her over. "You need to stand." He hooked an arm under one of hers and started to slowly pull her to feet. She wavered slightly, holding onto Legolas for support.

" **To the keep!"** It was Aragorn's voice, shouting commands to the soldiers on the ground and the outer battlements.

Men started rushing past them and in the chaos Arwen fell. Legolas was pushed further by the crowd as they retreated to the keep. "Arwen!" He shouted, struggling to get back to her.

Arwen struggled getting to her feet, every time she was close she was pushed by another rushing soldier. "Arwen!" she heard her name and expected it to be Legolas but it was not, it was Haldir. He pulled her to her feet, not saying another word before he started pushing her to the keep. She heard a gasp and Haldir's body jerked forward. He pushed her forwards and she caught herself on a spear that had landed upright.

Turning around Arwen saw the blade embedded in Haldir's stomach. She wrenched the spear she had caught herself on from the ground but before she could attack Haldir suffered another blow. His body jerked upright, his face a mask and pain and shock as the Uruk-hai ran past him to her. She ran at him aiming her spear point for his throat and not stopping when she found her target. She forced its body to the ground and pinned him in the cold mud, his life sputtering out of him with his black blood.

"Haldir!" she shouted, relinquishing the spear and running him. She watched Haldir drop to his knees and before he could fall the rest of the way she caught him, holding his back against her chest. He was already dead though, his eyes wide as he had been undoubtedly surveying their dead comrades.

"Arwen!" This time it was Legolas, he pushed through the crowd, and pulled her to his feet. "He's dead, Arwen," he said. "There's nothing you can do." Arwen hesitated, she couldn't leave him like this she thought as Legolas tried to pull her away. She hesitated a moment too long. "Arwen," Legolas started to say her name but it caught in his throat.

"Legolas," she whispered, her eyes wide with fear, behind him she saw an Uruk-hai, his hands free of any weapons.

Legolas reached around to his lower back, he grunted as he ripped a small crude blade from his body. He tossed the bloody weapon to the wet ground. They stood frozen in time, even the Uruk-hai who had assaulted them stood unmoving, he watched them. Legolas reached back for the twin blade holstered on his back, a feint metallic ring sounded before Legolas turned and charged towards the Uruk-hai.

Arwen looked around for anyone but everyone, even most of the Uruk-hai had passed them and had gone toward the keep. Four yet remained, one behind her with Legolas, two in front of her, and one farther off to Arwen's left. She instantly dropped down to one knee, pulling her bow and one arrow from her back. It flew in the blink of an eye and as she reached for a second arrow it plunged through the gap in the Uruk-hai's helmet. The second flew and she heard the thud of it making contact with her target as she reached for a third arrow. She pivoted to her left, the Uruk-hai was too close. The tossed her bow to her right, still holding the arrow tightly in her left hand. She waited a second longer before he was on her and forced the arrow under his breast plate. With two hands she forced arrow into his body, almost to the fletching. He fell, not quite dead yet but he would be in a matter of minutes.

Arwen rose to her feet, adrenaline rushing through her veins as she turned back to Legolas. He stood still, watching her, a blank and empty look on his face. There was blood on his hands, red blood that seeped from his lower abdomen. "Arwen," he said. As he fell Arwen felt her heart drop with him. She ran to him, not sure when she told herself to move, and fell to her knees beside him. She said nothing, she couldn't. "Arwen," he said her name again. She tried to find the source of the bleeding through his shirt. "Arwen."

Her eyes found his, the bright blue eyes she had fallen in love with. "No," was all she could say. She was frantic and calm all at once as she pushed her hands to cover the blood flow.

Legolas coughed and when his hand came back it had more blood on it. "Arwen, stop, it's not going to help me now."

It wasn't until he said that that realization sank in but she wouldn't stop, she couldn't give up. It was nearly dawn, if he could just make it sunrise it would be alright. After five years of being with her Legolas knew what was going through her head. "No," he whispered. And he smiled weakly up at her. He took in every detail, from the way her dark wet hair clung to her face, to her soft blue eyes, the way the rain and pre-dawn light made her bronze breast blade glimmer. He raised a hand to rest behind her neck, and pulled her down to him, his wet lips finding hers and tasting salty tears. When the kiss was over she burrowed her face in his chest and the let the tears flow freely.

It was a slow dying, so slow that one could have convinced themselves that it wasn't really happening but just quick enough to remind that it was. That is exactly what Arwen was convincing herself of. The fighting had moved on to inside the keep where the Uruk-hai had broken through the gate, Arwen and Legolas were left alone with the dead and dying.

"Arwen." His voice was weaker than she had ever heard it before. "Arwen," he said it again, this time just barely above a whisper.

Her eyes found his, the vibrancy in his eyes was gone. Tears leapt into her own eyes and she started to shake her head. "No," she said, knowing what he was thinking. "No, you're not going to die. You can't die." Her voice shook.

Legolas chuckled. "If only I could stay," he said. He started to cough violently.

Arwen continued to shake her head. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this. This was the plan." The tears she had been trying to hold back poured down her face. "You can't leave me," she said.

"I wish I didn't have to," he said in a small voice. The sun was just starting to rise, the battlements were painted in a soft yellow light. Morning had come. "Arwen." She closed her eyes, wishing that when she would open them again that all of this would just be a bad dream. "Arwen," he said again. "I have loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you. I would rather have lived this short life with you, than a hundred without you."

"Don't say it," she whispered, pleading with him. There was still time. "Please don't say it."

"Goodbye."

"No," she repeated that word over and over again. She watched his eyes close and his chest stopped rising and falling with his breaths. She couldn't see through the waterfall of tears that spilled down her face as she clung to him and held him to her chest. She rocked back and forth on her heels. She pressed her lips to his forehead, already feeling the warmth leaving his body.

That was how they found her when the battle was over and morning had finally come. Arwen heard their footsteps approaching her but she ignored them. A hand gently rested on her shoulder and when she looked up it was Aragorn. Eomer and Gandalf were there too, standing a few feet away from her. "Arwen," he said her name so quietly she almost missed it. Arwen looked into Aragorn's soft grey eyes, they were glassy with unshed tears.

"Go," she head Gandalf say.

Eomer came closer and as he crouched her eyes found his, the sky blue of his eyes was identical to his sister's eyes. Arwen shook her head. "This wasn't supposed happen," she said as Eomer took the body from her arms. "Everything's changed."


	9. No Grave (Work Song)

**Summary: Songfic to Work Song by Hozier watch?v=nH7bjV0Q_44 The people of Rohan and the remainder of our foursome cope with the loss of their friends and family. Rated T by Caitie (Arwen & Legolas) (Eowyn & Aragorn)**

March 4, 3019

In the years to come Aragorn wouldn't remember the words he said to Eowyn, even moments later he couldn't remember how he had told her. Maybe he hadn't said anything at all. All he would remember was the look of unbelief as she pushed past him, forcing herself into the room that smelled of death and grief. There was a quiet gasp behind him and he knew Eowyn had found the body. Eomer and Aragorn followed her inside. He looked at the room as if it was the first time he'd seen it.

Legolas' body rested on the bed, his eyes closed as if he slept. The blood covering his clothes and the sheets told another story. Arwen sat in one corner of the room, her knees curled up to her chest. Her reddened eyes stared unblinkingly at the body. The early morning light reflected off the drying tear tracks on her cheeks. Dry blood was matted into her hair and caked onto her cheeks and dried onto her hands and clothes. She was a mess, but who wouldn't be after a night like she endured?

Aragorn walked around to stand beside Eowyn, tears were welling in her eyes and she was shaking her head. "No, no, no," she whispered to herself. "He's sleeping, right?" she asked Aragorn desperately. "Right?" She turned to face him. When he gave no answer the tears spilled from her eyes and she dropped to her knees on the hard wood flooring.

Eomer walked past them to Arwen and knelt beside her. He rested a hand on her shoulder but she ignored him, her eyes never leaving her husband's prone form. It was then that Eowyn noticed her in the corner. "Arwen," she said so quietly that it was barely above a whisper. She went to her and knelt in front of the Elf. "Arwen," she said a little louder now. Arwen still looked to Legolas. "Arwen," she said through her tears, Eowyn's hands grabbing her shoulders.

Aragorn realized then that Arwen had never known true death. Her family was still alive, even her mother was still alive just no longer in Middle Earth. This was the first death that had been close to her. He sighed. "Eowyn," he whispered, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Give her some time."

Eowyn looked up at him, she could barely make out his face through her tears. Her arms dropped and her head lowered. He could hear her crying. Aragorn knelt and pulled her into him, she clung to his body, holding onto his shirt in her fists as her tears soaked through it. As he held her against him he watched Arwen. He watched her lifeless eyes flicker as she came back to reality. She got to her feet and started towards the door.

Eomer jumped up after her. "Arwen!" he called to her as she disappeared into the hallway.

"Let her go," Aragorn said. "She needs to be alone."

..::..

Down in the keep the people of Rohan were gathering their belongings together and readying themselves for the trek home. In the quiet of the battlements Arwen stared down at her blood stained hands on the low wall of the battlements. The pale sunlight made the tears on Arwen's cheeks glitter.

"There you are, Lass." The voice was heavy with the accent of the Dwarves from the east. "I've been looking for you." Gimli came up beside her. As Arwen looked down at him the tear that clung to her chin fell down onto her boot. Gimli sighed. "I met your husband once before all this began, many years ago, I'd wager even before you really knew him." Gimli turned, putting his back against the low wall since he couldn't see over it anyway. "He was a different person then but no less stubborn or passionate. It was just after the Battle of Five Armies; my mother, myself, and many other Dwarves were traveling home to Erebor now that it was free of the dragon. We traveled through Mirkwood escorted by Legolas and a small entourage. Being a small boy still I had heard the stories of the Mirkwood spiders and was terrified. You husband never said a word to any of us." Gimli looked up at Arwen. "M'lady, do you know when the feud between Elves and Dwarves started. I myself cannot remember, been too many years." Gimli watched a tear make it way down her cheek. "When I saw him in Rivendell I drew the automatic conclusion that he was still the cold person my father described in his stories about those old days, and that he was still the man I saw in Mirkwood. That is until I saw two small little Elflings." He smiled. "I only saw them twice but those children of yours are more full of life than a Hobbit at a party."

"And now they'll never know their father," Arwen said quietly.

"She speaks," Gimli said, looking up. "You'll just have to tell them stories."

"Stories are not the same."

"No, but they are better than not knowing him at all."

They were silent for a few minutes. The sun was high in the sky now but it was still cold in the March wind. "This was not supposed to happen," Arwen whispered as fresh tears spilled from her eyes. "Legolas was supposed to come home to me and the twins. I wasn't supposed to kill him."

"Do you believe in fate, m'lady?" Arwen looked down at him without answering. "I don't. I believe there is a power out there that surpasses us. It chooses when people meet, what they do with the time they're given, and when their time is up. Like puppets we are forced to be and do what they will. You didn't kill him, m'lady."

"And what if you're wrong, master Dwarf?"

"Then everything I said is false. Everything, but that you didn't kill him. And if I am, I wouldn't choose to live my life believing anything different."

..::..

The sky was a dark blue, the thin grey clouds were the only things to separate the endless blue above the world. Fires dotted the plains before Helms Deep, the fires of those who had passed. The sounds of crying people were carried by the wind.

That same wind blew Arwen's dark hair across her face. Before her was a pyre of broken doors and floor boards, behind her stood her friends and those who had come with her from Rivendell and Lorien. She tuned out the sounds of strangers mourning their loved ones, leaving only the sound of fires crackling and Eowyn's quiet tears.

Moonlight was strained through the clouds shine dully on those below. It caught on the blonde hair of the corpse on the pyre, its white light causing Legolas' pale face to glow. Arwen stared at him unblinkingly, her eyes dry for the first time since he passed. She felt a hand rest on her shoulder. "It is time," Gandalf's deep voice said behind her. His hand retreated from her shoulder and reached out, a torch was passed to him from Eomer. Arwen could see the torchlight from the corner of her eye as it grew brighter and closer. "Take it, child," Gandalf said as he passed it to her. Her hand tightened around the wood shaft as the fire danced before her eyes.

..::..

" _Don't say it," she whispered, pleading with him. There was still time. "Please don't say it."_

" _Goodbye."_

" _No," she repeated that word over and over again._

His eyes opened and the face he expected to see was gone. Above him was green, the green of trees in the middle of summer. They were all around him, and endless forest surrounding his prone form. "Arwen," he whispered her name, sitting up. Where was he?

" _Arwen," Legolas started to say her name but it caught in his throat._

" _Legolas," she whispered, her eyes wide with fear, behind him she saw an Uruk-hai, his hands free of any weapons._

 _Legolas reached around to his lower back, he grunted as he ripped a small crude blade from his body._

"No," Legolas shook his head, unbelieving; inside he knew it must be true. "No!" he screamed that word and it echoed back to him. He got to his feet and turned around frantically. The trees spun around him. "This can't be." He stopped. "Arwen!" he shouted her name knowing that he wouldn't find an answer.

He started running, running from the truth he couldn't absorb. He pushed through the dense forest, searching desperately for a way back to her. In his mind's eye he could see her, see her crying above him and holding his lifeless body. He could feel her arms holding onto him and her face pressed against his chest.

The ground beneath his feet began to turn to mud and before long he was standing in the middle of the pond. The trees grew right from the water around the pond's edges. Sunlight streamed mercilessly down onto the glasslike appearance of previously undisturbed water. In the center of the water he saw her face, flames cast shadows on her face and before her was his body.

..::..

Gandalf's head bowed and he sighed. "All must say farewell eventually, and now the time has come to say goodbye to a friend, a brother, and husband." His hand rested on Arwen's back, gently nudging her towards the pyre.

"We should be burying him," Eowyn said as Arwen took her first step towards Legolas. "This is not our way, not even the Elves burn their dead." Tears fell freely down her face. "We should have a place to remember him by."

"Eowyn," Aragorn whispered to her.

"This is not his home," Arwen said solemnly. "I will not bury him here, so far away from me." She was now only mere inches from him, from the man she loved. She leaned down, her lips lightly touching his cold ones. "Le melin. Posto vae na lû e-govaned vîn." (I love you. Rest well until we meet again) She took a step back and tossed the torch onto the pyre. She watched the fire lick his body until all she saw were the flames. She felt cold even though she stood only a few feet away from the fire. She felt the tears well up in her eyes but she couldn't see them forming. She saw nothing but the fire and felt nothing but the cold.

..::..

Fire danced across the reflective surface of the water. He watched the torch fly from her hand to his body and he screamed. He screamed as if he could feel the flames scorching his flesh. Reality seemed to dawn on him then. The cold harsh reality that he was dead. He saw Arwen's face on the water, saw the tears drip down her cheeks as she stood like a pillar alone. The bright sun disappeared behind a mass of dark grey clouds. Rain started to fall, the drops of water at first landing on the water. With every raindrop the pond rippled and the image of Arwen faded. The rain landed on his face and slid down into his mouth. They were salty, like fresh tears and he knew, they were the tears of his wife. He closed his eyes and fell to his knees in the water. All he had left of her was his memories and her tears. This is not how death was supposed to be.


	10. Falling

**Summary: Songfic to Falling by The Civil Wars watch?v=VLZcFJLdPiI Eowyn mourns for the future she's lost. Rated K+ by Savannah (Arwen & Legolas)**

March 4, 3019

Arwen opened her soft blue and watched as Eowyn slept cramped in the chair above her bed. Arwen stared blankly at her best friend's peaceful face, trying to remember what that kind of peace felt like. She sat up. "Eowyn," she called softly. Eowyn jerked awake, looking around the tent. She took a long breath, pressing her palms into her eyes. "Why are you here?" Arwen asked. Eowyn dropped her hands, looking at her through blood shot, red rimmed eyes. "Why are you not with Aragorn?"

Eowyn sighed and dropped her eyes. "I didn't think you would want to be alone tonight," she answered. "Not after today."

In her mind Arwen could saw the fire licking over Legolas' body. She closed her eyes, trying to push the image away. "Lay with me," Arwen said. "You don't have to sleep in the chair."

Eowyn climbed down, sitting down on the edge of the bed trying to find words but finally she lay down and closed her eyes, falling back down into sleep. Arwen rolled over and closed her eyes, listening to Eowyn's deep breathing, but all she could see was Legolas.

..::..

In her dreams Arwen watched Legolas die, every night she watched the blade slide soundlessly into him. She saw his face as it twisted inside of him, and she felt her heart stop inside of her as he crumpled to the ground. This night was no different. Arwen woke with a start, cold sweat dripping down her face.

Eowyn leaned over her, her blonde hair like a halo around her face. "Arwen," she said, concerned.

Arwen sighed and wiped her wet eyes. "I'm fine," she answered. "It was only a dream."

Eowyn lay back down on her back and stared up at the canopy. "You're dreaming about him, aren't you?' she asked.

Arwen nodded. "Every night."

Tears trailed down the sides of Eowyn's face. "Please, Arwen, don't leave me," she said. "You're the only friend I have left in the world, you're the only friend I've ever had." Arwen listened to her, staring at anything, she couldn't meet her eyes. Eowyn wiped the tears from her eyes and sat up. "I want you to be there when this is over, Arwen. I want to be happy with you, I want our children to play together and to know that there is no danger left in the world. Is that not what we have been fighting for all this time?"

"Legolas said he would never leave me," Arwen said. "There are no guarantees in this world, I will not promise something that I cannot keep." Eowyn sat up, trying to hold in the sobs that clawed at her throat. Arwen sighed, a tear of her own slipping down one cheek. "I want that life, Eowyn," she said. "I want you to be happy, and Aragorn too, but it can never be like that, Legolas is gone." Eowyn looked over her shoulder at Arwen. "I can't," she said. "I can't live without him."

Arwen lay in silence, waiting for Eowyn to say something but the words never came. Eowyn laid down again and began to cry. Arwen watched as the woman facing away from her began to shake. Eowyn sobbed. She cried because Legolas was gone, she cried for the life she had always wanted, but most of all she cried because she knew she was losing Arwen.

Arwen simply lay in the dark, listening to Eowyn cry. She wanted to comfort her, tell her everything was going to be alright, but she knew it wasn't, it would never be alright again. Arwen let out a shaking breath.


	11. Chances

**Summary: Elrond tries to persuade Arwen to return to Rivendell. Rated K+ by Caitie**

March 7-8, 3019

(Text written in bold type is spoken in Elvish)

Cool night wind blew into Arwen's tent, waking her from her uneasy slumber. As always, her dreams were haunted by Legolas' memory and drenched in his blood. She heard soft footsteps on the ground inside her tent, she could hear the rustling of someone cloak as they came closer to her. The stranger sat on the edge of her small bed, the old wood frame creaking with their weight. "Arwen," they whispered, suddenly they he was no longer a stranger to her. That voice she had known for over two thousand years. Her father's hand came to rest on her arm.

Arwen rolled onto her back and sat up, looking her father in his grey-blue eyes. She expected to see them cold and unwavering as they always were but instead they sad, as sad as she had ever seen them. In that moment she felt tears well up in her eyes, and all the emotions she hadn't let herself feel for the past few days flooded out of her.

Elrond's arms came around his Arwen's body, pulling her into his chest. It had been years since the last time he saw his daughter cry and it had been nothing like this. The memory was fresh in mind, it was when they said goodbye to his wife, Celebrian. Arwen's tears had been few but the pain had been no less real. Celebrian had not died, she simply had to leave this land, but it had still hurt Arwen like nothing before. But seeing her this way was different.

Elrond's hand rubbed circles on her back as she leaned against him, comforting his daughter. **"It is time you come home,"** he said quietly. Arwen leaned back, rubbing the tears from her eyes and shaking her head. **"Arwen, you have been gone long enough. Come home with me, to your brother's and your children. Alida and Leonid need you, they miss you, Arwen."**

Arwen continued to shake her head, leaning further away from her father. **"I cannot go, not now,"** she stated.

Elrond sighed. **"Arwen, there is going to be a war and if you stay you will be caught in the middle of it, with nowhere go but through it. Now stop this foolishness and come home with me."**

" **You sent the fellowship on this quest. You sent your nephew, my husband, and helpless Hobbits to this war. You knew what could happen and still you sent them. Why should I leave them now, when they need my help the most?"**

Elrond rubbed his temples. **"You are my daughter, Arwen, I did not send you to this war..."**

" **But you did, you sent me Helms Deep, did you not know that I would stay with them to the end?"**

" **Your husband is dead, Arwen, do you really want to take a chance that might leave your children orphans."** His words hit Arwen like a stone wall. **"Your mother never would have taken a chance like that."**

" **I am not mother,"** Arwen shook her head, furious tears spilling down her face. **"I am you, haven't you realized that yet? I am your mirror image, mother always said so. And if you cannot see that, then you don't know your own daughter."**

Arwen and Elrond sat in silence for a moment, their mirrored eyes looking deep into the others. **"I don't want to lose my daughter,"** he finally said. His lifted a hand to brush the tears away from her face.

" **I cannot promise you that,"** she said quietly. **"But can you not see that I must stay?"**

Slowly, Elrond nodded, his eyes falling to the bed. **"I should have known at least one of them children would grow to be as stubborn as myself."** He stood up from the bed and walked across Arwen's tent. When he turned back to Arwen he held a sword wrapped in leather.

Arwen already knew what it was, her eyes wide. **"The blade that was broken, you did this?"** Elrond nodded, handing Arwen the blade. She looked with wonder at the blade, unable to tell where it had broken. **"Aragorn will be king."**

" **Yes."** Elrond watched Arwen sheath the blade. **"And to do that he must go into the mountain."** Arwen's eyes narrowed at the prospect of those who lived in mountains, everyone knew the legend, but not everyone knew the legend was true. **"You know as well as I do that this war will not be won with the numbers you have. He needs them, and he needs you."**

..::..

It was early morning, so early that the sun had still not chosen to show its pale winter face. Thick clouds blotted out any moonlight but Elrond could still see clearly. A ways before him was a couple, Eowyn and Aragorn, even from this distance he could hear their argument but he didn't move. He was waiting for someone. Arwen's horse walked up to them and Elrond watched her dismount, her voice just low enough that he couldn't hear her very well.

The clouds broke overhead and the moon shone down on Arwen's fair skin, even from here she resembled her mother. In so many ways she was like Celebrian, but in just as many she was also like her father. The thought made Elrond sad. Before the War of the Last Alliance Celebrian had begged Elrond not to go. He could still remember her face and her tears as she pleaded with him, but Elrond promised he would return to her. And he did. But would Arwen return to Rivendell? That he did not know.

Arwen had lost so much already, if Aragorn or Eowyn were to fall she wouldn't be the same. She had to remember her children, Legolas would live on in them. But he wasn't sure if she would remember them in the heat of battle. Everything is different when your adrenaline is pumping through your veins, you're not thinking clearly. But she had to, she had to keep them in her mind or she would not come back to them.

Elrond was snapped from his thoughts when he heard a horse whinny. Arwen had mounted her horse once more, a dappled grey mare he had given her when she returned to Rivendell with Legolas and their children. Her back was to him, she did not know he was watching her. She started forward, following Aragorn and Gimli. Just before they turned down a row of tents she turned, somehow sensing his presence. She raised a hand to him, bidding him goodbye. A tear trailed down his cheek as he watched his daughter ride off to war. He raised a hand back to her. **"Goodbye, my daughter, may I see you again.** **Ilúvatar, watch over my daughter, keep her safe from all if it is your will."**


	12. Where The Paths Of The Living Lead

**Summary: Aragorn and Eowyn disagree on her involvement with the coming war, and Aragorn embraces who he is. Rated K+ by Savannah (Eowyn & Aragorn)**

March 7-8, 3019

Eowyn blinked her eyes adjusting to the dark, she rolled over on the makeshift bed, and the wind whipped the flaps of their tent. She heard Aragorn murmur in his sleep and sat up, leaning over him. "Aragorn," she called, worry in her voice as he began to toss, his murmurs growing into cries. "Aragorn, wake up," she said again, shaking him.

Suddenly he flew up inches from her face, his chest heaving. They stared into each other's eyes then a voice at the door of the tent interrupted their gaze. "My lord," the man said, "the king awaits you in his tent." Then he disappeared again into the night.

Aragorn looked back at Eowyn then crumpled onto her, his giant shoulders stooped, his forehead resting on her shoulder. Eowyn wrapped her arms around him, taking a deep breath and resting her cheek on his head. "I have them too," she said. "The nightmares."

Aragorn sat up and pressed Eowyn to his chest, holding her as if he would never let her go. "I see you laid out before me every night since the battle, it's always the same," Aragorn said. "Your eyes are closed and I think you're asleep, but as I walk toward you I understand that you will never wake."

"It's alright, I'm here, I'm alive," Eowyn said, pressing her face to his chest.

Aragorn held her for a second longer then let go. Looking down into her deep blue eyes, he touched her cheek then climbed from the bed, pulling on his shirt and boots and striding from the tent.

Eowyn laid back down seeing herself as Aragorn had described her in his dream. She saw herself dressed in white, her skin faded to the same color, and her body laid out as if for a burial. She shuddered, pulling the blankets up around herself and closed her eyes, trying to push death from her mind.

..::..

"Put aside the ranger, become who you were born to be," Elrond said, placing the blade in Aragorn's hands.

"Narcil," Aragorn said, unsheathing the sword, his eyes filled with wonder.

"No," Elrond said. "A reforged blade; a new king, a new name, Anduril."

Aragorn nodded, the blade reflecting a strip of light onto his face.

..::..

The moonlight shining on the camp illuminated the tents, they called to Aragorn like beacons in the night. He walked to the only one with a light shining from the inside and pulled the flap up and walked inside. He saw Eowyn sit up again at the noise and look at her, her eyes filled with questions. He sat down beside her and touched her hair, letting its silky strands run through his fingers. "What is this?" she asked, touching the sheathed blade that lay on his lap. He unwrapped the cloth covering then slid the blade free a few inches to expose the steal inside. Eowyn reached out her hand to touch the cold metal. "Narcil," she breathed.

Aragorn shook his head. "Anduril now," he said. "Reforged and renamed."

"It's beautiful," Eowyn breathed, her eyes still fixed on the sword. "A blade for kings," she said. "Who brought it to you?"

"Lord Elrond is here," Aragorn answered. "Before Arwen left Rivendell Arwen told her father to have the Elves reforge the sword." Eowyn looked up at him, but he was far away in his thoughts. "She asked me why I feared the past," he said under his breath. Eowyn reached out her hand and placed it on his cheek, he looked down at her sitting across from him but his mind was still in Rivendell. Arwen had come to him dressed as white as if in a dream, that moment she seemed not of this world. "She told me who I was," he said, finally torn from his daze. "And what I was born to do, I must ride to the paths of the dead and call the armies that wait there."

..::..

Eowyn stood at the edge of the army encampment, looking out over rows and rows of tents, the camp fires beginning to glow in the growing dusk like stars in the sky. She heard hoof beats coming toward her and she turned, the cold winter wind blowing her white dress around her. Aragorn threw his leg over the horses back and slid off, hitting the ground with the horse still moving toward her. "I leave tonight for the paths," he said, reaching out to Eowyn, but she turned back to the cliff in front of her. "I have been searching for you for hours," he said, resting his hands on her arms. Eowyn looked up at the sky and realized that the stars now glittered in the black night. "I must leave before dawn," Aragorn said.

"Go then," she said, in her words lay all the pain and sorrow that lay festering in her heart. Her face contorted in pain and tears springing into her eyes.

The breath in Aragorn's lungs left him and every part of him clenched in sadness, seeing her before him so broken. "Eowyn," he said, tenderly touching her cheek and forcing her to look at him. But when her eyes met his again all that fire that had burned in them before was gone. Aragorn stared into them, their dark blue beauty turned black by the night.

She looked at him a second more, her eyes lifeless, then turned her back. "I told you to go and let me be."

"Eowyn," Aragorn said. "I will not leave when I may never come back with nothing from you but a sad glance and an empty stare."

"What do you want from me, Aragorn?" Eowyn asked flatly. "Do you want me to weep for you, to beg you to stay?"

Aragorn stared at her, not knowing the woman who stood before him, she had become hard and cold as steal. "I do not ask anything of you," Aragorn said, taking a step away from her.

"Then why are you here?" She looked deep into his silver eyes.

"We are one flesh," Aragorn said quietly, staring back at her. "You are mine and I am yours."

"Then why do you break our bond to one another?" Eowyn interrupted. "Why do you send me away from your side? Why do you leave me on the eve of battle? Why do you ride to what could be your end and tell me I cannot come with you?" Her voice grew louder and louder with every word until she finished, her voice piercing. "Aragorn, I love you," she added under her breath." Aragorn looked at her in astonishment, one second she was screaming at him and the next she looked at him as vulnerable and helpless as a child. "I would have followed you down to the end," she said. "I would give my life to save yours, my captain, my king, my love."

Aragorn looked at her, hot tears brimming in his eyes. "It is because I love you that I bid you stay."

Eowyn shook her head. "Do you not love Arwen? I know that you do and yet you do not make her part from you."

"Arwen is not mine as you are," Aragorn said.

"You say that you love me but you do not even know me, Aragorn. You know that I cannot stay and sit by, it will kill me just the same as any sword."

Aragorn shook his head, running his hands through his hair.

"Aragorn," Arwen's voice called through the trees then her horse trotted into view. "Aragorn, we must leave. The hour has come and gone." When she saw Eowyn she stopped, pulling her horse to a stop beside Aragorn's and slid from its back.

Eowyn turned back to look at Aragorn and realized that his eyes had not left hers.

Arwen walked up to them and stopped to stand beside Aragorn, her arms crossed, Aragorn's gaze stayed fixed on Eowyn. Arwen looked between them for a moment then stepped toward Eowyn. "Farewell," she said. Eowyn nodded as Arwen embraced her. "His only thought is to protect you," Arwen said in her ear.

"Don't leave me as well," Eowyn said, holding onto Arwen even tighter.

Arwen let go and smiled down at her. "We will always meet again."

Eowyn nodded and watched as they both climbed onto their horses' backs, leaving her standing alone in the dark. She walked to Aragorn's side and looked up to where he sat. "If you leave me now then it will be the last time, there will be no coming back."

Aragorn looked at her. "You know that this is what I must do, it is our only hope, Eowyn."

Eowyn looked at him, her eyes filled with tears. "Goodbye then," she said. "I have loved you with every part of me."

Aragorn nodded. "Goodbye," he said tenderly.


	13. Black Sun

**Summary: Songfic to Black Sun by Death Cab for Cutie watch?v=eTbVIfqeDq0 . Arwen and Eowyn find something to fight for. Rated K+ By Savannah**

March 8-10, 3019

Arwen rode beside Aragorn in silence as Gimli told his stories. She stared, looking forward at nothing. Aragorn watched as a stray tear fell from her eye. He reached out and touched her arm, their horses riding so close that their hips brushed together. "Arwen," Aragorn breathed. Slowly, Arwen turned to look at him. Aragorn looked into her deep blue eyes but he didn't see her in them. "Arwen," Aragorn said again, touching her cheek. "Come back."

She stared at him. "To where?" she whispered.

"To me," he said.

Arwen looked ahead again, another tear rolling down her cheek. "What for, Aragorn?" she said, her eyes flickering back to him.

"For them," he said. "For the twins." Arwen closed her eyes as tears flowed down her face freely. "He will live on in them. You will not find him here, but if you look you will find him in them."

Arwen's body shook with a sob. Aragorn reached for the reins of her horse and pulled it to a stop beside his own. He swung down from his saddle then reached up to Arwen, pulling her to him. She fell into his arms as sobs consumed her, making her whole body shake. Aragorn lowered her to the ground, holding her to his chest, her tears soaking into his clothes. Aragorn closed his eyes, resting his chin on her head, tears of his own slipping from his closed eyes. "I love you, Arwen; they love you, you can't give up on that."

..::..

Eowyn sat at the edge of her cot, her arms wrapped around herself. She watched the afternoon sun play through the sparse leaves, casting patterns on the cloth of her tent. She lay back, watching Aragorn ride away from her over and over in her mind. She took a shaking breath, turning her head as the flap of her tent opened. "Eowyn," she heard her brother's voice but saw Aragorn walking towards her. She blinked, the warm light seeping through the white cloth glowed off his skin, and his dark hair brushed his shoulders, messed by the blowing wind. He smiled and his grey eyes shone at her with such love in them.

Eomer sat on the edge of the cot, looking down at his baby sister and felt himself choke. He had not seen her filled with such grief since she had been trapped in Meduseld; their parents dead, their uncle possessed, helpless to the hands of that snake Grima. She looked up at him, her eyes not really seeing him, their blue depths filled with unshed tears. "Eowyn," Eomer breathed, his hand stroking her cheek then running over her hair.

She blinked, the tears running down her temples. "I have no one," she whispered, her voice broken by sobs.

Eomer's hands slipped under her back, lifting her into his arms, holding her to him as she sobbed into his neck. "You have me, Eowyn. You will always have me," he said into her hair.

Eowyn held onto him fiercely, her body wracked with sobs. "I can't go on like this, I am broken, Eomer."

Eomer held her tight, willing the strength in his body to go into her. When he felt as if her small body would break in his arms he let go, holding her at arm's length. "We have been broken before, Eowyn." He stared at her tear stained face. "But we cannot stop and let the pieces of ourselves rot. We must continue on, we must fight." Eowyn looked deep into his eyes, her jaw set firm, then down to the sword sheathed at his side. "Do not give in to despair," he said. Eowyn's eyes didn't waver. "I must go, we ride tonight for Minas Tirith. I will send men with you back to Edoras.

Eowyn nodded, but Eomer could see that her mind had slipped to some other place. He looked at her sadly and saw his mother in her, saw the same lost look he had seen as a small boy before his mother had slipped into madness, despair, and death. He held Eowyn to his chest one last time, tears slipping down his own cheeks. "You will be safe, I promise you that, if nothing else you will be safe." Then he stood, unable to look at her, and left the tent.

Eowyn watched him go, her heart numb and her mind empty save one thing. She looked down at where her sword rested, she picked it up and pulled the shining metal out from its bindings. She ran her finger along its edge, watching the blood pool and drip down the blade. She felt a hunger. She set her jaw, bloodlust rising up until it consumed her. "Set me free," she whispered.

..::..

Arwen watched as Aragorn's great shoulders stooped and his body crashed to the ground. She had seen the tears in his eyes, watched them fall down his cheeks. She let her hand come to rest on his shoulder, trying to comfort him but her heart felt cold and brittle. Then she felt something brush past her like a cold wind on her back, making the hairs on her neck stand on edge. Then, like a flood, the dead rushed past her out of the mountain. Arwen gasped, her hair being picked up and blown around her. She felt hope well up inside of her. "They will fight," she whispered.

Aragorn stood beside her, watching as the dead men sailed past and through them. Arwen felt his fingers brush her then his hand wrapped around hers, holding tightly. "They will fight," he repeated, looking at her, the tears still fresh on his cheeks.

Arwen looked at his steel grey eyes and saw courage in them. Her head turned, watching the last of the men go. "And now so must we," she said, turning back to Aragorn. Arwen closed her eyes and breathed in deep, feeling power rush through her veins. She opened her eyes again and saw the king of Gondor standing beside her and the power in his blood. She looked up overhead, the wind blew her dark hair around her; black clouds were rolling over the already grey sky, covering any of the light left. She set her jaw and clasped Aragorn's hand. The two of them stood at the top of the hill, the mountain behind them and the dead in front.


	14. Sound The Bugle

**Summary: Songfic to Sound the Bugle by Bryan Adams watch?v=GmWw16GYg7k . The Battle of Pelanor fields has finally come. Will it mean the end of another beloved friend for the three who made it this far? Rated T by Caitie**

March 15, 3019

Arwen barely felt the cold breeze as she slid down the trunk of the Mumakil. The massive beast came crashing to the ground, dust soaring into the air around them as it landed, shaking the ground. Arwen watched many stop half a second to watch her and the beast land on the ground. She leapt from the beast's trunk and landed with the grace of her people on the uneven ground. She pushed a piece of her long black hair away from her face, her hand coming back with black and red blood on her hand. Arwen took a step forward only to stop again.

Far ahead of her, in the midst of the fighting was a lone figure. A pale Orc, his face twisted and his body gnarled by whatever torment he had endured in Mordor. He stood alone for none had dare to come close to him. He watched her, his uncrippled hand resting on the hilt of a crooked blade. She started towards him, stopped suddenly by oncoming horses, their riders screaming as they galloped past. When they were gone Arwen looked back to the pale Orc only to find him gone as well. Her keen eyes searched the plains but he was gone.

Sighing, Arwen turned back towards the rider. At the head of the column of horses was a man with broad shoulder and a horse tail hanging from his helmet. Eomer. That was the first of her companions she'd seen since she stepped off the ship. She surveyed the field once more for her friends. She couldn't see Aragorn's new blade, or hear Gimli's bellowing. She searched for the long blonde hair of Eowyn for she knew that Eowyn had come against Aragorn's wishes. None of them were to be seen.

" _Arwen."_ She heard her name as clear as day and knew the voice, it was a voice she heard only in her dreams now. The voice of the husband she'd lost just weeks earlier. She turned towards the voice, looking for him. An arrow flew past her, just a mere inch from her face, it nicked her ear and she could feel the warm blood start to drip down her ear to her neck. The archer stood ahead of her, loading his crossbow once more. Before he could finish her own arrow left her bow and quicker than the blink of an eye he was dead, her arrow square between his eyes.

" _To the city,"_ Legolas' voice said. She closed her eyes for a brief second, Legolas was dead, she had remind herself of that. It was not his voice, he was not here with her. _"She needs you."_

She put away her bow, the white city loomed above her, a city built right into the mountain itself. It had been hundreds of years since she'd seen it last and the sight of it now saddened her. Smoke rose in thick dark columns from the lower levels of the city, the ashes staining the white stone grey. The Mordor army hurled rocks at the city and with every toss a part of the once proud city crumbled.

Without realizing it Arwen had started running. She ducked around people deep in combat and leapt over corpses, refusing to look at the faces of the dead for fear that she may find another loved one in the carnage. She saw Legolas' face in her mind and despair tried once more to creep into her being. She forced him from her mind, instead thinking of her children, the reason she must go on. She couldn't give up on them.

The screaming in the city erased all thoughts from her mind. These weren't the screams of soldiers dying but those of women and children horrified. The white roads and walls of the city were stained grey, and black, and red. As Arwen stepped into the madness within the city she had to stop. The faces of children looked up at her with dead eyes, their throats slashed, their limbs torn from their bodies. Her hand came up to her mouth as she tried to hold back the tears that refused to be subdued. She had seen death many times before but never like this. In every face she saw her children, the faces of Leonid and Alida looking up at her in mortal bodies.

Arwen closed her eyes and breathed in. When she opened them again she didn't see the dead, but the living and those threatening them. Ahead of her was a woman and her infant pushed into a corner, a sickly green Orc with a crooked back closed in on the woman as she cradled her baby against her chest. Arwen started towards them, pulling Legolas' twin blades from her back as she walked. The Orc was so close to the woman now Arwen was sure she could feel the heat of his breath on her face. Arwen drew her right arm back and plunged one of the blades into the Orc's back and the other into his side. Wrenching the blades from his body the Orc fell to the ground, dying with a hoarse cry. "Get inside," Arwen said to the woman who stared at her in fear. She nodded silently before disappearing into the nearest building that was still intact.

The rest of the street appeared to be empty of those living so Arwen pressed further into the city. By the time Arwen reached the second level of the city her hands were stained black and she was sure she wouldn't see the color of her skin for a long time to come. She rounded a corner only to be forced back the way she had come by an Orc hiding in anticipation of her arrival. His crude blade whipped out at her, grazing her forehead as she jumped back. Blood dripped down into her eye as she caught herself at the top of the stair case leading back down to the first level of the city. The Orc snarled at her as he came closer, before his neck step Arwen flicked her wrist, one of the twin blades slicing between his head and shoulders. His head fell from his shoulders and tumbled to Arwen's feet. His body fell next, crumpling before, black oozing onto the stone. As Arwen took a step forward she pushed the head to bounce down the steps onto the first level then walk over the body.

This is where the action seemed to be in the city. She peaked around the corner and saw them, a cluster of Orcs, perhaps fifteen Arwen assumed, no more than twenty. _"The house."_ She went back to the body of the fallen Orc, she looked at the building to her right. It was a small home, two stories tall with windows carved into the stone. She nodded as she observed it. She put the twin blades back in their holsters on her back. She pulled herself up to sit on the window ledge then ducked into the house. The wooden stairs were right before her and Arwen took care to walk carefully up the steps, even though she was fairly certain that if she made the staircase creak the Orcs would not notice it. At the top of the stairs Arwen started her search for the window on the back wall. Turning to her right, so she faced the hall, Arwen started opening doors in search of the window she'd seen from outside.

" _Open the door."_ The first door she opened led to a small room with two small beds. On top of one bed was a child with his back to her, one may have thought the boy was sleeping if not for the puddle of blood dripping onto the floor. Arwen sighed. Just as she started to close the door she heard a creak from inside the room. She stopped, her ears listening attentively. A whimper from the bed with the dead boy made Arwen enter the room. She took precautions to step carefully, not wanting to frighten whoever was hiding under the bed. Arwen lowered herself to her knees and gently lifted the blanket that covered the bed.

Big green eyes greeted her and instantly Arwen lifted a finger to her lips. "Shhh," she whispered. "It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you, little one." She reached her hand out to the small girl and saw the frightened look as she took in Arwen's black hand. "No, no, no," Arwen said, understanding the girl's fear. "It's just dirty, see," Arwen lifted her sleeve to show the girl the white flesh that hid beneath. Slowly, the girl took Arwen's hand and Arwen was able to pull the girl out from beneath the bed. The little girl took great pains to not look at the body on the bed but on Arwen's dirty face. "That's a good girl." Arwen smoothed the girls' silver blonde hair away from her face. "My name is Arwen," she whispered. "What's yours?"

"Ioreth," she said quietly, her voice small and light.

"Ioreth," Arwen repeated. "That's a beautiful name." Arwen's eyes flickered the boy on the bed. "Where are your parents, Ioreth?" Ioreth shook her head, holding a small stuffed doll to her chest. "Alright, I'm going to take you to the palace. Is that alright with you?"

"Are you going to leave me?"

The question took Arwen by surprise. She shook her head. "Not until I place you in the arms of your family." Ioreth stretched her arm out to Arwen, taking Arwen's blood stained hand in her small one. Arwen wrapped her arms around the small child's body and hoisted her up into her arms. "We need to get to the roof," she told the child as she left the room.

"There's a balcony in Mama and Papa's room," Ioreth said quietly. "It's the last one in the hallway."

Arwen saw the door at the end of the hall, it was open a crack and carefully she pushed it open further. Opposite the door into the room was another door, much narrower than the others. The balcony. She set the girl down beside the door and opened it just wide enough to see if anyone was outside, the street was clear, the Orcs must have moved on. "Come, Ioreth," she said, motioning for the girl to follow. "I'm going to lift you up onto the roof, and then I will follow you, alright?" Ioreth nodded, but Arwen could see the fear in her green eyes. "It's going to be alright, I won't let you fall."

Ceilings in Minas Tirith were notoriously low, and Arwen had no trouble lifting Ioreth to roof from the balcony. When Ioreth was safely on the roof of her home she laid down on her belly, from fear of being seen or fear of falling Arwen wasn't sure. Next, Arwen turned around, her back to the house. She stepped up onto the metal railing of the balcony and leaned back in towards the building. Getting her hands and elbows onto the flat roof of the home she hoisted herself up the rest of the way. "Come," she whispered to the child as they crawled to the chimney on the other side of the roof.

From here Arwen could see everything, in front of her was the city, only five more tiers to the top with each getting smaller and smaller the higher you go. To her left was the second tier of the city, a collection of homes all built close together and then a stone path to the next tier of the city. Behind her she could see the battlefield and the lowest tier of the city. Her keen eyes saw the little river of blood washing through the lowest tier. She closed her eyes and turned back to look at the second tier. The street seemed empty but Arwen saw the Orcs at the very end, just starting to make their way up to the next level.

She heard a click, the sound of a crossbow releasing a bolt and then before she could react quick enough pain exploded in her left shoulder. She lurched forward, falling onto her chest. The wind was knocked out of her. With her right hand she reached back and ripped the bolt out while the pain was still fresh. She tossed the short arrow to the ground and looked back to Ioreth. She was unharmed but she was crying. "It's alright," Arwen whispered to the child, trying to comfort her. "Come here," she told the girl. Ioreth started the crawl towards her. "We need to get down from the roof," she said through the pain. Another crossbow bolt flew overhead, striking the building in front of them. Arwen grabbed her bow and turned to the archer, he hid in a building a few yards away, an easy shot even though she was injured. Holding the bow in her left arm she bit down the pain and fired an arrow. She groaned as her arrow left her bow, her shoulder felt like a fire had started within it. She didn't stay to watch the Orc die, she knew her arrow was true. "Come, Ioreth," she said as she crept towards the edge of the roof.

Arwen sat on the edge of the roof. "I'm going to jump down, you're going to follow and I will catch you, I promise." Ioreth nodded as she took her place next to Arwen. Before thinking about the pain she would indefinitely be in she dropped to the ground, the force of her land traveled up her body igniting the fire in her shoulder even more. She cursed and bent down as she tried to swallow the pain. Hesitantly she raised her arms up to the child. "Alright, your turn. On my count, one…Two…Three…" Ioreth jumped into Arwen's arms the force of her fall pushing them both into the building behind Arwen's back.

"We have to go," Arwen said, gritting her teeth as she set Ioreth onto the ground. She reached out her right hand to Ioreth, holding her left close to her body. She started to jog, the child running to keep up. The street was empty so they made their way down to the path up to the third tier. Arwen could feel the blood dripping down her back as they ran, she could feel Ioreth eyes on her, worry and concern emanating from her small body. "It's going to be alright," she said again.

Turning a corner they saw the path ahead of them, a wide staircase about thirty feet high. "Come on," Arwen said, pulling Ioreth up the stairs. She heard foot steps behind them and with just seconds to spare Arwen grabbed Ioreth and pulled her towards her body, shielding the child from the arrow that hit the steps where she had just been standing.

"Run!" she pushed Ioreth up the stairs as she turned around, pulling her bow and an arrow out as she moved. Her arrow flew just as the Orcs behind her had loosed another arrow. There were three this time, two archers and one weaponless. Her arrow struck the weaponless one and he fell lifeless to the ground. The second archer released an arrow before Arwen could reach for another arrow, it struck her lower abdomen and pushed her back against the steps. As she fell back she could hear Ioreth crying, she had stopped on the staircase. "Go!" She yelled. Ioreth hesitantly started up the staircase once more, falling to her knees on one of the steps above Arwen.

The Orcs started towards them, putting their bows down in favor of swords they'd taken off of dead Gondorian soldiers. One of them passed her, making his way after the child. Without having to think she ripped the bolt from her belly and stabbed him in the ankle with it. She screamed as she ripped the arrow from her body, her cries mixing in the air with the Orc's. He tumbled down the steps, a trail of thick black blood dripped behind him.

Arwen stood, her adrenaline blocking out the pain in her stomach and shoulder as she pulled Legolas' blades from her back. As she walked down the steps more Orcs came out of the buildings, they had been watching them and she hadn't even realized it. She was outnumbered, but she was not done. They came at her like a tide washes over the beach. Red and black blood splattered the steps. Her blades sliced through the air, the dim sunlight catching on it every once in a while.

Individually they were not a match for her, but as a whole they were. What they lacked in skill they made up for in force. She felt their blades slice her back, her arms, her chest; she felt the blood dripping down her body. But for every one cut they gave her she gave them two until only four of the remained. She stepped over corpses, backing her towards the steps once more.

How long she had been holding them off for she couldn't tell but it was taking its toll on her. Her head was light and her movements were slowing considerably. One of them had disappeared, but when he disappeared she wasn't sure of. Had she killed him? She didn't think so. She heard the release of an arrow and felt it strike her chest above her right breast. She vision blurred and she dropped one of Legolas' blade to catch herself on the wall. _"Arwen."_ It was his voice again and this time she saw him, standing behind the Orcs. She shook her head and closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind, when she opened them again he was gone. She tried to take another step up to the third tier but she slipped and felt herself fall to the stone steps.

The back of her head cracked on the stone beneath her and her world turned to white. She saw Legolas again, he hovered above her, his face sad. _"Open your eyes,"_ he said to her. She hadn't realized they were closed and when she opened them Legolas was replaced by one of the Orcs, he held one of Legolas' blade in his hand. She tried to lift the one blade she still held onto but her arm was too heavy and she could do nothing. She thought about begging but knew it would do no good; she thought about crying, but that would no good either. She hardly felt the knife as it slid across her throat, she couldn't even feel the blood pour endlessly down her neck. The Orc stepped over her body and dropped the knife beside her, she heard the metal hit the stone with utter clarity. She watched, unable to move as the Orcs passed her on the steps.

She closed her eyes, she couldn't breathe she suddenly realized, but she didn't panic, she merely looked up at the sky. The world around her had gone quiet, she could no longer hear the war just outside the walls of the city, she didn't even hear the steps of Ioreth as she came running down the steps to Arwen. She felt her tears though, the girl grabbed Arwen's empty hand and tried desperately to pull her to her feet, all the while her tears hitting Arwen's face. Finally the girl gave up and sat on the steps next to Arwen, she pulled Arwen's head into her lap and held onto Arwen's hand. The little girl cried as she stroked Arwen's hair. Arwen realized the girl was speaking to her but she couldn't hear any of it, she couldn't even open her own mouth to speak to the girl. She felt a cold wash over her body, it was her time, she knew this, she accepted it. Right before her world turned to black she saw Aragorn's face in her mind, and heard Eowyn's laugh, she saw Legolas holding her children. Then she saw nothing at all. A bugle rang through her ears as she gave up. Her eyes staring up at the sky as the sun just peeked through the thick clouds.


	15. C'est la Mort (This Is Death)

**Summary: Harmen, the boy from Helms Deep, wanders through the city after the battle. Rated T by Caitie**

March 15, 3019

(Text written in bold type is spoken in Elvish)

Blanched sunlight strained to peek through the thick clouds, Harmen could barely see the pale blue sky above. Crows were already starting to appear overhead, circling above the city and the plains before it. The eleven year old boy's weary body carried him towards the city. If he was being honest with himself he wasn't sure how he was still alive. All around him were the bodies of dead Rohirrim soldiers, grown men who knew what they were doing, and yet here he was, a child alive after a war.

Trudging past a dead Mumakil he thought of the Elf maid. "Arwen," he said aloud, remembering her name. She had killed the beast, he had seen the whole thing. It was something one would hear of in stories. Harmen remembered the fight at Helm's Deep, Arwen's husband had been there, he'd seen him several times in Edoras and then again with Arwen in Helms Deep, and one last time as she burned his body. She was strong for a woman, and she was beautiful.

Harmen decided then that he would find her. He started toward city, the last he'd seen of her was after she killed the Mumakil and made her way towards the white city. He passed men walking aimlessly, not knowing how to process what had happened; he saw women in the city sitting in the streets crying as they held onto their children, living and dead. When he passed a decapitated body of a child he lurched forwards and vomited in the street. The stench of ash and death was overwhelming in the city, more than once Harmen had to stop.

It took him hours to make his way up to the third level of the city. And when he arrived he found hope. An Orc was dead on the street, an arrow square between his eyes, it had to be her. As he traveled further into the city he saw more evidence of Arwen, he smiled a little when he saw a group of dead Orcs. There was no doubt in his mind now, she had definitely been here.

As he grew closer to the scene before him he heard something. His heart skipped a beat thinking it was an Orc, but as he listened closer he decided it was definitely not an Orc. It was a child, crying, a sound he was growing accustomed to. He rounded the corner seeing first the child on the staircase and then the body she was protecting. Long black hair cascaded down the steps beside her lifeless body. It was her. Arwen. He felt something inside of him shrivel, his hope perhaps. His hope that his world would be alright, that everything would be alright.

..::..

Gimli grunted, the steps in this city were too damn steep he thought as he climbed up yet another staircase. He grumbled the entire trip from the plains to the city and now he had to climb up to the top, with legs as short as his this was no easy feat. He cursed when he finally got to the top of the staircase he had just defeated. Bending over he huffed and struggled to catch his breath once more. "One down," he said through heavy breathing. "Only six more to go." He groaned and cursed the city once more, longing for his tunnels and mines back in Erebor.

The wind picked up and sent Gimli searching for the prospect of warmth. He knew to meet Aragorn and Arwen at the top of the city in the citadel. He looked up, the citadel was impossible to see from the second level. He grumbled as he walked alone through the city, flicking a dried piece of blood from his arm. He couldn't shake an uneasy feeling as he rounded a corner, and when he did go around the corner he stopped. His breath caught in his throat. A boy stood frozen still looking at the staircase, and a girl sat crying on the step holding a woman's head on her lap. Through the mass of black hair he could just make out the pointed tips of her ears, and the steps near her were weapons we recognized all too well.

"Arwen," he whispered. His helmet fell from his hand and collided against the stone ground with a resounding thud.

..::..

Aragorn wiped the sweat from his brow as he dragged himself through the field. Without caring he stepped through puddles of blood but made sure to avoid the bodies. Though his body was tired his eyes searched restlessly for Arwen. The promise he had made to Elrond to watch out for her repeated endlessly through his head. He had to find her.

The city loomed before him, a white mountain staring down at him imposingly. It looked down at him as if to say, "You're not good enough, you will never be like your ancestors, you are Isuldur." He sighed as he stepped into the city, for years he'd done his best to avoid it, to leave it alone as best as he could. "You will never be one of us," the city said to him as he took his first step through its walls.

He forced thoughts of his past and his fears from his mind and once again thought of Arwen. The last he had seen of her she had brought down a Mumakil. Its corpse lay not far from the city, it was perfectly reasonable to assume she made it to the city. He wandered through the first tier of the city, ignoring the corpses of women and children. His only thought was of his cousin. He approached a staircase and followed it up to the next tier.

Immediately there were signs of her. The corpse of an Orc lay in the middle of the street, an arrow with white and brown flecked feather protruded from the middle of his forehead. Encouraged that she had made it to the city he kept on. He looked down an alley between two small stone houses and stopped. There was a brown smear against one of the walls.

Without thinking he started down the alley. As he got closer the smear looked ruddier until it was without a doubt the color of blood that had been sitting for some time. Worry slowly started to flood his mind as he raced from the alley and jogged through the neighborhood. He knew the next staircase would be close so he slowed as he approached it. Aragorn could see a helmet lying on the ground and recognized it as Gimli's. How had he made it to the city before him? Aragorn wondered.

The staircase was now just barely visible in between to shops. He was now just barely walking faster than a crawl as the scene of on the staircase was revealed to him. Gimli stood a little ways before the first step. In front of him was a boy on his knees, his head him low. And finally, on the steps was a small girl with light colored hair, she couldn't have been more than six thought Aragorn. She sat on the steps cradling a head on her lap. Aragorn shook his head I dis belief. It couldn't be her. The long black hair couldn't be Arwen's, the weapons strewn across the steps couldn't be hers. But it was impossible to ignore her face, her blue eyes were open staring lifelessly at the sky. Her left hand just a mere inch from one of Legolas' twin blades, just a mere inch from something that could have saved her life.

He felt his feet moving him towards her. He could see Gimli's mouth moving, but he couldn't hear the words all he could hear was the sound of his heart beating like a drum. His legs gave out as he fell to his knees beside her, not feeling the stone beneath him.

Aragorn brushed Arwen's thick dark hair away from her face and neck and saw the red slash across her throat. He choked on silent tears as the realization of her death dawned on him. He looked up into the child's eyes and without saying a word she nodded, her arms loosing from around Arwen's body. Aragorn pulled Arwen onto his lap, her skin was still warm and the blood was still fresh. He cradled her body against his, holding her head to his chest wishing that he could pass some of his own life into her.

Tears cascaded down his face and onto hers, catching on her eyelashes and landing falling on her cheeks. Her eyes were still open he realized for the second time. He found himself entrapped in her soft blue eyes, he could see the sadness of many years in their depths. Hesitantly, for he knew this was the last time he would see them, he raised his hand to her eyes and gently closed them.

Aragorn looked over at Gimli, his face red as he tried to hide his pain. He watched the boy too, the boy who had followed Arwen from Helms Deep. And finally he returned his gaze to the girl, the mother in Arwen had won over the warrior in her. He could see Alida in her small round face and knew that Arwen had seen the same.

..::..

Aragorn's feet felt heavy as he walked up the tiers of Minas Tirith. Arwen's body felt light in his arms as he carried her up the steps to the sixth tier of the city. All about him people rushed around, carrying the injured to the Houses of Healing. He wished more than anything that he could be one of them. He wanted nothing more than the run as fast as his legs to carry him to the Houses, to save her, but it was too late. The renowned healers in Minas Tirith could do nothing for Arwen, not even Elrond could have saved her.

All around him people wept, the wailing grew only louder as Aragorn came closer to the Houses. Women sat on the vibrant green lawns of the sixth tier embracing their children and holding onto hope that their loved ones could be saved. Aragorn wished he could share in their hope. His hopes were dashed with every step he took.

Looking up from Arwen's ashen face he saw a tunnel straight ahead of him. The tunnel to the Citadel. And right before that was a collection of white stone buildings. On one side of the stone pathway was the Houses of Healing, women in light grey dresses rushed about tending to the injured and the dying. On the other side was the mortuary, people were littered across the lawn beside and around it, delivering their dead and mourning their losses. Aragorn realized he was involuntarily holding onto Arwen's body tighter.

The smell of death and disease hung in the air like a thick curtain, snuffing out signs of early spring. As Aragorn grew closer he noticed a woman in a dark grey dress standing in the doorway of the mortuary. She watched his every step knowing that he was bringing her another body to care for. His steps slowed and became heavier as the reality of his situation fell upon him once more. He could convince himself all he wanted that he was bringing Arwen to the Houses but deep inside he knew that his steps were taking him to the mortuary.

Without even realizing it he began to ascend the steps that led to woman in grey. Her eyes were full of pity as he took that final steps towards her. She said nothing but motioned for a palette to be brought forward. Aragorn hesitated and cradled Arwen close to him. The woman nodded slowly as if to say "it's time". He knelt beside the palette and gently set Arwen's body down. He brushed the hair away from her face and rested his hand on his cousin's cheek. "Arwen," he whispered. **"Rest well, until next we meet."** He felt tears sting his eyes as he kissed Arwen's forehead.

Aragorn stood, not caring about the tears in eyes and the tracks on his face he looked at the woman. There was a deep sorrow in her expression, she knew what this death meant to him. "This is Arwen, the Evenstar of her people, the daughter of Elrond of Rivendell," he said her title with authority. "Take good care of her."


	16. Any Hope

**Summary: Aragorn finds Eowyn after the battle. Rated K+ by Savannah (Eowyn & Aragorn)**

March 15-16, 3019

The dead and dying were in the city, crowds and crowds of them. Aragorn walked slowly through the houses, breathing in the sharp warm smell of blood until it burnt his nose. Everywhere he turned they knelt, or sat, or lay like a sea. And the tide was coming in; as soon as he stood from one man three more had come into the houses. Every bed had been taken hours ago and now the living and the newly dead lay in clumps on the floor.

Aragorn took a deep breath, the air hot and damp suffocated him, but he was numb with grief, not able to feel anything. He heard his name whispered as he walked from man to man; in their voices was amazement, and hope was on their lips.

"Aragorn!" Gandalf yelled as he strode through the crowds of people, being pushed along by their tide. Aragorn looked up form where he knelt bandaging an arm, snapped from his trance. "She's here, you must go to her, and hurry!" Gandalf yelled over their heads.

Aragorn stood confused. "Who?" he called, but Gandalf was gone. Aragorn left the room he had been working in and crossed to the private room looking around until his eyes met someone he knew. Eomer stood across the huge hall, leaning limply against a door frame. His arms were crossed and his head hung down. Aragorn tried to breathe but his breath caught in his throat. "Eowyn," he choked out. He began to run. "No," he said louder as he grew faster and faster, bumping into people and pushing them out of his way. He leapt over a man lying on the floor and crashed in Eomer. "Where is she?" he cried, shaking Eomer's shoulders.

Eomer looked up at Aragorn for a long time, his mind in another world. "Here," he finally said, leading Aragorn through the door.

When Aragorn saw her his heart stopped and he tried to swallow down the lump that was growing in his throat but it just pressed harder. Tears sprung into his eyes as he walked slowly to her bedside. He half knelt, half fell to the ground beside the small bed. "You weren't supposed to be here," he whispered. "You were supposed to be safe, waiting for me." He took one of her cold hands in his and looked up at the healer.

The old woman shook her head. "Touched by the black breath," she whispered.

Aragorn tried to muffle a sob as he buried his face into the sheets. His body shook, his shoulders bent, slipping until he almost lay on the ground, grief breaking him. Eomer crossed the room and laid his hand on Aragorn's shoulder, trying in some way lessen his pain. After a minute Aragorn led out a shaky breath, moving to his knees he looked at Eowyn. She lay so still and so white, she looked perfect to him; her golden hair strewn out around her, her hands lying perfectly still on her stomach. Aragorn moved to sit on the bed, he placed his hand on her colorless cheek, running his thumb over her soft skin. "I begged you to stay," he whispered, slipping his hand around her head behind her ear, feeling the weight of her head in his hand. "I half expect you to open your blue eyes now and start to tell me how you couldn't just stay." He said that with a broken chuckle that turned into a sob.

Eomer nodded to the healer and she backed away.

"You know I've been dreaming of these days for a long time, Eowyn," he said, bring his hand touch her hair. "Of when this war would finally be done." He moved his hand and brushed his fingers against her eyelashes. "When we could live together in peace." Aragorn's hand fell to her cheek and finally moved to her lips, caressing the soft skin. "I can't do this without you," he said, leaning down and kissing her. His lips were not met with her warm touch but with cold lips from which no breath came.

Slowly he began to withdraw his hands and turned to where Eomer and the healer stood. "I must go, there will be others who…" His hands brushed her neck, his fingers lingering, trying to hold onto her in some way. But as his fingers left her skin he felt the faintest of movements, he stopped mid-sentence, his face snapped back to hers. 'It can't be, that's not possible,' he thought, hoping against hope. He pressed his fingers down harder and his heart skipped a beat. "She's alive!" he shouted, turning to the healer.

"Yes, my lord," he said, stepping forward. "But her heart is very weak, she will not live past the hour."

"No!" Aragorn cried, taking her hand in his once more. "Go to your herb master and ask him for athelas, or you might know it as kingsfoil and boil water!" The healer stared blankly at him. "And hurry!" he added. Aragorn pressed Eowyn's hand to his chest.

Eomer pulled up a stool on the other side of the bed. "My lord," Eomer said, looking at him. "There are others," he sighed, "others that are not so close to…" He stopped and looked down at his hands.

Aragorn shook his head, placing his free hand on her forehead. "I will not leave her again."

..::..

A throbbing pain in Eowyn's left arm woke her up to bright white light. She winced as she hesitantly opened her eyes. When her eyes adjusted to the light she was met by the concerned gaze of her brother. "You haven't gotten any sleep, have you?" she managed to croak out. Eomer smiled a little. "How long have I been sleeping for?" she asked, trying to sit up, but the world spun and she shut her eyes tight.

"Twelve hours," he said. "Give or take a few." His hand touched her face.

When her eyes opened again she looked around the room. "Where is Aragorn?" Eowyn all but shouted as her panic began to rise.

Eomer looked up. "He is tending to another soldier. I'll go get him."

Within moments Aragorn burst through the door. Eowyn smiled. "Don't break down my door," Eowyn teased. "I like my privacy." She hissed in pain as she tried to sit up.

Instantly Aragorn was at her side. "Don't," he said, as he gently pushed her back down. When she was lying on her back again he pushed a couple of stray hairs away from her face. "Why did you come?" he whispered painfully. "You promised you would stay where it was safe."

Eowyn raised a hand and wiped the tear away. "I had no other choice but to fight, Aragorn, you know that."

Aragorn sighed, acknowledging defeat. He bent down and gently kissed her forehead. "There are so many here, so many wounded," he said quietly against her skin.

Eowyn closed her eyes. "Fine, if you must," she said, moving her hand to his face, using every bit of strength in her body for the simple movement.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Aragorn said as he stood up and reluctantly left the room.

..::..

Eowyn looked at her brother. "I feel so weak," she said. "The world is spinning faster than it should be. What time is it? What day is it?"

Eomer smiled. "It is almost midday on March sixteenth. You need to rest more," Eomer said. "You're so pale and thin, you look like a child again." He brushed his thumb over her cheek.

She wanted to protest, to tell him that she didn't need him and Aragorn to handle her like a baby, but instead her eyes slowly shut. "Eomer," she whimpered as an icy shoot of pain raced up her arm and into her chest. He moved to her bedside. "I'm so cold," she said. "My arm is so cold."

Eomer lifted her up, cradling her in his arms so her head rested on her chest. Eowyn clung to her brother, crying softly as her whole body filled with the icy fingers of pain. He held her there, remembering when she was a child after their parents had died. She had had a fever and he had to hold her in his arm then too, whimpering into the night.

A healer walked through the room and saw the two of them. "She's too weak," the old woman stated. "She may very well still die." Eomer turned to her, confusion and anger written on his face. "You must make her eat something, even if it's only broth if you want her to live." The old woman continued harshly. "Not that it matters if she dies, the king shouldn't be marrying some Rohirrim girl anyway." Eomer stood from the bed, laying Eowyn's frail form back down. She moaned still holding his hand. "The first king we've had in a thousand years and he's not even going to have Gondorian children. Instead he's planning to mate with some girl from the west." Eomer stood behind her seething, she turned and gasped as he stood heads taller than her.

"Eomer," Aragorn said, coming from nowhere to touch his shoulder. "The commanders are meeting, we need the King of the Mark."

Eomer nodded, taking one last look at the old healer then strode out of the room.

Aragorn turned back to Eowyn, her arm now hung off the side of the bed and the blankets were knocked off. His brow knit together as he moved her good arm back onto the bed and pulled the sheets up around her. He bent down and kissed her forehead then turned to the shaken healer. "Take good care of her," he said, his voice commanding. She nodded, gripping the table and shaking visibly. Aragorn smiled to himself. "I wouldn't say such things to Eomer-King, they say he has a temper almost as bad as his sister's." She nodded. Aragorn stopped at the door and looked back at Eowyn. He sighed, worried.


	17. These Wilder Things

**Summary: Songfic to These Wilder Things by Ruth Moody watch?v=NAW_DDa3Po0 Eowyn visits the mortuary in search of her uncle but finds more than she anticipated. Rated K+ by Savannah**

March 16, 3019

"Eomer?" Eowyn called, softly waking her brother. Eomer rubbed his eyes and smiled at her, but the smile was not returned. "I need to see him," she said. "Before they take him back to Rohan." Eomer nodded slowly. Eowyn sat up and her head immediately began to swim. Eomer wrapped his arm around her middle and lifted her small frame. Eowyn closed her eyes and leaned against him, breathing deeply until her head cleared. "Let's go," she said, taking a step, but her legs gave out and she fell to the ground. Eomer gently bent down and slid an arm under her legs and around her back, lifting her up into his arms.

When they were halfway to the mortuary Eowyn spoke. "Let me try again," she said. Eomer looked down at her, concern in his eyes. "Please, I need to get my strength back." Eomer nodded and set her down. They walked slowly together down the hall."

..::..

Eowyn looked down at her uncle, tears falling from her eyes. "He did so much for us," she said. Eomer nodded, taking her hand. "After our parents died." She sighed.

"He will be remembered," Eomer said. "We can tell our children about the king of Rohan who marched to battle to defend his country from evil."

"Who else is here?" she asked, looking at the other rich beds in the dim candle light. They moved from bed to bed, looking at the still faces of noble men. Suddenly, Eowyn's eyes caught on a strand of dark wavy hair. She bit into her lip, hoping against hope that it was not who she thought it was. She dropped Eomer's hand and walked as quickly as she could towards the body. When Eowyn saw Arwen's face her small tears turned into sobs, her shoulders shook as she knelt down beside her best friend's body. "No, no, no," she said. "Please not you as well."

Eomer ran to her side, holding her close. His hand was on her head, pressing her into his chest as he tried to comfort her.

"Arwen," Eowyn choked out. "Please no." She sobbed into her brother's chest, her tears soaking through the thin fabric of his shirt. Eowyn pulled away from her brother, tears still streaming down her face. She reached for the piece of fabric that was laid across Arwen's neck.

"Eowyn, no, don't," Eomer said, but it was too late.

The fabric fell away, showing the thin red slash across Arwen's perfect skin. "What did they do to you?" Eowyn asked, her hand tracing it's down to the corner of the bandages covering Arwen's chest and shoulders, pulling them away as well.

"Why are you doing this to yourself, Eowyn?" Eomer asked, his face full of confusion and worry.

"I have to know," Eowyn said, staring at the small arrow holes in Arwen's chest. "I need to tell her brothers, and her…" she stopped, a new realization dawning on her. Eowyn's face changed to horror. "Leonid," she said, starting to sob again.

Eomer pulled her close again and she cried. "Go find Aragorn!" he yelled to a guard.

A few moments later Aragorn sprinted into the mortuary, panic in his eyes. He stopped when he saw Eowyn on her knees beside Arwen. He walked over to her and sat beside her. Eowyn fell against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I didn't know she was here, I didn't know she had died," Eomer said sadly. "So much death," he breathed, standing and walking away slowly.

Aragorn stroked Eowyn's hair and whispered in her ear then kissed her head again. Slowly Eowyn calmed, she sat up and looked at Arwen, reaching out she touched her cheek. Arwen's ivory skin glowed in the warm light. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked sadly.

Aragorn sighed. "You haven't been awake for more than an hour at a time." She looked at him. "I'm sorry."

Eowyn stood shakily and stared down at Arwen. She wore a deep purple dress and someone had combed her dark hair so it glistened on her shoulders, her face looked pale but she had not lost any of her beauty. "Where is her sword?" Eowyn asked, looking around the room. Aragorn reached for where it lay at the foot of the bed and handed it to Eowyn. Eowyn looked down at the sword and a tear fell from her cheek, landing on the smooth surface and shimmering in the torchlight. Eowyn smiled a little and placed the blade on Arwen's chest. "Many will miss you, Arwen Undomiel," she said, moving Arwen's hands to rest upon the hilt. "But none more than I?" Eowyn straightened and crossed her arms. Aragorn wrapped his arms around her and she laid her head down on his shoulder. "I'm so tired," she whispered into his skin. He nodded, scooping her up. Before they even reached the Houses of Healing she was asleep.

..::..

Aragorn looked down at Eowyn's face as she slept. He reached down and tucked her hair behind her ear, running his thumb over her cheekbone. "You scared me," he said in the moonlit room, rubbing her bare arm. "You're never allowed to leave me alone, I don't want to do this without you."

Eowyn's eyes fluttered open and she rolled onto her back. "Who are you talking to?" she asked groggily.

Aragorn smiled. "You."

Eowyn gave me a strange look then took his hand. "I'm so cold," she said.

Aragorn's smile faded and he put his hand on her head, checking her for fever. But before he could feel anything Eowyn was pulling him down beside her. She rolled back onto her side so they would both fit on the small bed. Aragorn wrapped his arm around her and pulled her tight against him. Eowyn closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

..::..

 _Arwen burst out laughing. "Oh, Eowyn," she said. "It's okay, you can't really burn water." Eowyn looked up, hope restored in her eyes._

 _Legolas made a face. "You told her she could burn water? That's not very nice of you."_

 _Aragorn smiled. "When has being nice ever been one of Arwen's top priorities?"_

 _Eowyn lifted the spoon to her mouth and sipped the hot soup. "It tastes fine!" she practically yelled._

 _At this, Aragorn began to laugh as well. "Well that was your first mistake, believing Arwen without trying it yourself."_

..::..

Aragorn propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at Eowyn asleep beside him in the moonlight. He ran his fingers over her ribcage, sadly noticing the protruding bones.

"Oh," a younger healer said, stopping in her tracks. "My lord," she said, bowing slightly. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'll come back later."

"No," Aragorn said. "Stay." The healer nodded. "When was the last time she ate?" he asked.

The maiden crossed the room and looked at a sheet of paper that lay on the table. She turned to Aragorn and shook her head. "Not since she's been here." Aragorn pulled the blankets up around Eowyn's shoulders. "Is what they're saying about her true? That she traveled with the soldiers?"

Aragorn smiled at her. "Yes," he said.

"They wouldn't have mad much food," she stated. "And she would have been hiding." Aragorn nodded, slowly understanding. "She needs strength if she's going to heal," she said before leaving without another word.

"Eowyn," Aragorn said, trying to wake her gently. "Eowyn," he said louder. Growing worried, he shook her but nothing happened. He sat up. "Eowyn!" he practically yelled, panicking. He grabbed her shoulders, lifting her small frame off the bed. "Eowyn!" he said, shaking her as hard as he could. Suddenly her eyes snapped open and Aragorn sighed with relief, setting her back onto the bed. He collapsed facedown beside her, breathing heavily. Eowyn turned to him, reaching up her hand to touch the back of his head. "I thought…" he started. "I thought…" He shuddered, not wanting to finish his sentence. "You have to be here when I come back," he said. "I can't even begin to think of what it would be like if you died while I'm gone."

Eowyn looked at him confused. "What are you talking about?" she asked dreamily.

Aragorn sat up again. "We're going to the Black Gate. We're going to move the Eye of Sauron to us so Frodo has a chance of making it to the mountain.

"No," Eowyn said shooting up from the bed. "You're all going to die!" Her head spun and she thought she was going to fall off of the bed, but instead, she felt herself being pulled into Aragorn's embrace.

"It's the only way," he said.

She pulled away from him. "Haven't we lost enough already?" she asked. "Everyone we love is gone. Arwen, Legolas; you can't make me promise to not die when you're going off to a battle that can't be won.

They sat across from each other, tangled in the sheets, the moonlight streaming through the window. Aragorn leaned forward, holding her cheek in his hand and kissing her gently. "I can't live without you."

She nodded, looking down. "Aragorn," Eowyn said, looking up into his grey eyes. "I want to get married." She kissed him. "Now, before you go." Aragorn smiled, unable to speak so he leaned forward and captured her lips in his. He flipped her onto her back and leaned over her. Eowyn began to laugh. Aragorn's smile lit up his face completely as he bent down to kiss her again. When they parted Eowyn reached up her hand and lay it on his neck. "I love you, Aragorn," she said.


	18. Long Time Traveler

**Summary: Songfic to Long Time Traveler by The Wailin' Jenny's watch?v=-UNT3poCd6U Arwen finds herself in another world. Rated K+ by Caitie (Arwen & Legolas)**

March 15, 3019

Everything was black. The faint whisper of rushing water was the only thing Arwen could hear in the emptiness. It filled her ears and reminded her of home, memories of playing in the waters of Imladris flitted behind her closed eyelids. The sound of the water grew louder as if it was moving closer to her until it was pounding in her ears. She felt the soft touch of grass under her hands and feet and felt a cool wind brush over her body.

Her eyes opened and all she could she was white light so bright she thought she might go blind. Slowly the white turned to blue and green. The bright blue of a summer sky and the vibrant green of a lush forest cleared into view. Her fingers fisted in the long grass she laid upon, pulling it out of the earth and up before her eyes. "Where am I?" she whispered.

Arwen sat up and as she rose she felt the weight of years she'd lived lift away from her, her body so light that she felt as if she could almost fly. She looked to her left and sure enough there was the water, a massive waterfall cascaded over a cliff into a pond below. It was not a river like most waterfalls but a pond with nowhere for the water to go. But the pond was clear that it seemed undisturbed by the waterfall. To her right was a wall of trees, their thick trunks climbing high into the sky.

How had she gotten here? She was at a loss of words but her minded wandered deep trying to remember. She felt a sting in her shoulder, and in her chest and stomach. As she blinked she saw a knife slide across her throat and when she opened her eyes she a white city above her and felt stone steps beneath her. She felt the blood drip down her neck and saw the face of a child above her. It all came back to her in a tidal wave of pain.

The land around her came back into view leaving the city and blood in the back of her mind. Arwen's hand rose to her throat, there was nothing there but she knew there had been. "Alida," she said quietly. "Leonid." Her heart clenched at the thought of her children, bringing tears to her eyes. She rose to her feet, the tears continuing to trail down her face.

Her bare feet carried her mindlessly towards the trees. The weightless white dress wore fluttered around her in the cool breeze as she started to run. She wound the trees looking for something, anything that could bring her home again. The forest blurred around her as she ran without thinking through the woods. Her tears had finally started to subside when she broke out into a clearing. She stopped suddenly and her heart stopped for a moment with her. Sunlight streamed down into the clearing making his hair glimmer like pure gold. Her knees quivered as his bright blue eyes met hers and she felt herself start to cry anew. "Legolas," she whispered as her legs gave out. He ran to her and knelt on the ground beside her, holding her in his arms. She pulled his arms tighter around her and fell into his body. Her cries turned to sobs as cradled her against his chest. "You're here," she said through her tears. "You're real."

Legolas stroked Arwen's hair as he held her in his arms. 'Nothing could feel this good and be this wrong,' he thought to himself, as he held onto his wife. As Arwen's tears dried and pains of memories of her past life faded from her mind. Her soul ached and she held onto him tighter. "I'm here," he whispered into her ear. He kissed her forehead and held onto her tighter. "But you shouldn't be."


	19. Till Death Makes Us Part

**Summary: Aragorn and Eowyn's wedding. Rated M by Savannah (Eowyn & Aragorn)**

March 17, 3019

Eowyn's eyes fluttered open and for the first time in weeks there was a smile on her lips. She looked around the room looking for Aragorn, but he was gone. She sat up slowly then swung her legs over the side of the bed. Just then, Eomer burst through door, his smile spreading all the way across his face. "Good morning, he said, crossing the room in two strides. He placed a cloth bag on the bed and pulled Eowyn to her feet. He kissed her forehead. "Baby sister," he said.

Eowyn smiled at the floor. "He told you, didn't he?" Eowyn asked.

"Yes!" Eomer laughed, scooping her into his arms and spinning her around. He set her down gently and she clung to his arm as he reached for the bag on her bed. "I spent all morning looking for this," he said.

"All morning?" Eowyn asked, confused.

"Yes," Eomer said. "It's almost midday."

Eowyn rubbed her forehead. "I've never slept this much in my life." Eomer pulled at the bag until a white dress spilled out. Eowyn's face broke into a smile. "You got this for me?" she said, hugging him.

"I'm so proud of you, Eowyn," he said. "I never thought my baby sister would grow up to be a world renowned warrior. I guess all that training with me and Theodred paid off."

She punched him playfully on the arm. "World renowned," she scoffed.

Eomer smiled at her. "You are," he said. "They call you shield maiden and wraiths bane." She laughed then looked at the floor embarrassed. "Well, are you going to try it on?" he asked.

Eowyn picked up the dress. Eomer walked to the corner of the room and turned around. Eowyn smiled and slipped her nightgown over her head. "Eomer," she said. He turned around. Eowyn stood smiling at him. "Can you do it up for me?" she asked.

Eomer nodded and crossed the room. "You look like our mother," he said as he tied the intertwining gold laces on her back.

Eowyn turned to him. "I can't remember what she looks like."

..::..

Aragorn climbed the stairs two at a time and burst into his room. He went to the bowl in the corner and washed the blood and grime from his hands and face then washed his hair. He slipped out of his clothes, pulled on tight black pants and tugged a white shirt on over his head. He looked down at the golden tree of Gondor embroidered on his chest. Pulling the hair away from his face and tied it with a small strip of leather.

He left the room and followed the paths up to a small garden overlooking the city. People bustled around setting up a few rows of chairs and putting flowers everywhere. He walked towards a fountain and dipped his fingers in the cool blue water then pulled one of the lilies out. He twirled the stem in his hands and watched as garlands were hung across the garden, and a long piece of cloth was laid in the middle creating an aisle.

"It's beautiful," someone said beside him. Aragorn turned to see Gandalf standing looking out over Minas Tirith, he turned and placed a hand on Aragorn's shoulder. "You deserve this day," he said. "You deserve happiness."

Aragorn smiled. "Thank you."

..::..

Eowyn stood in front of the mirror and smiled excitedly. Her dress tumbled to the floor in layers of silk that moved when she walked. Her fingers moved to trace the gold designs that started at her bare shoulders and wove down to the middle of her hips.

"Hold this," a young girl said, handing her a piece of hair as she pinned in the last of it onto her head. Eowyn looked at the braids woven loosely into her hair and the little white flowers that were tucked in here and there. They had even rubbed a pink paste onto her cheeks and a darker one on her lips that made her look less sickly. As she handed the last curl to the girl her sleeve caught in the wind. It picked up the sheer material falling from her arm and sent it flying in the breeze. Lastly, the girl clasped a small gold chain around her neck, hung on it was a jewel that glittered when the sun hit it. "Are you nervous, my lady?" she asked.

Eowyn shook her head. "I'm just so happy, I can't get this smile off of my face." The girl smiled behind her at the mirror. "Thank you," Eowyn said. "I can hold a sword but I can't do my own hair." The girl laughed and bowed then left the room.

Eowyn sat down on a chair and looked out of the window, she breathed deeply of the fresh cool air blowing in from the window. She heard the door opening and stood up. Eomer walked through the door but stopped when he saw her. He swallowed, trying to find words. "How do I look?" Eowyn asked, spinning in a circle for him. Her head started to pound. Eomer ran toward her and caught her by the shoulders, keeping her from falling.

"Like the most beautiful creature I've ever seen," he said.

"Let's go," Eowyn said. "I can't wait any longer."

Eomer chuckled and held out his elbow. Eowyn placed her arm in his but he moved, holding her around the waist and they walked out of the room together.

..::..

Aragorn stood at the front of the garden, the fountain and the view at his back. The sun was beginning to set making everything glow with a warm light. In the corner a man sat playing soft music. Gandalf stood beside Aragorn smiling at him, he could feel the energy pushing out of him, making it impossible for Aragorn to stand still. Suddenly the music changed and the small gathering stood. Aragorn turned and saw Eowyn standing with her arm around her brother smiling at him. He felt every emotion crows up inside of him, all of them pushing, making a lump appear in his throat as he looked at her.

Eowyn's long white dress fell around her feet. The veil, like her sleeves, blew softly in the wind. The same wind pulled small pieces of her hair so that it fell perfectly around her face. 'How could something be so beautiful?' Aragorn thought to himself.

Slowly the siblings walked together towards him. Everyone looked at Eowyn as she walked past, but her eyes never faltered from Aragorn's. Aragorn smiled as they reached the end of the aisle. Eowyn turned to Eomer and embraced him. He held her at arm's length then kissed the top of her head. "I love you," he whispered, blinking back tears. Eowyn nodded, all words lost. She turned to Aragorn and her face immediately broke into a smile. She stood across from him, Aragorn took her hands in his.

Eowyn looked at Gandalf as he began to speak, but Aragorn couldn't take his eyes off of her. "No two people have given their lives so completely to our cause. Both have faced death and pain for others, both have shown that they will give their lives. So now, on this day, we gather together to watch as they gives their lives to one another." Eowyn looked back to Aragorn, beaming. Gandalf drew out two rings and handed a small silver one to Aragorn, and a larger gold one to Eowyn. Then he began to speak again. "Aragorn," he said. "Here is Eowyn, princess of Rohan, shield maiden of her people. Will you take her into your house to be your wife?"

Aragorn smiled. "I will," he said. "With all of my heart." He stepped forward and slid the ring onto her finger then kissed her forehead.

"Eowyn," Gandalf continued. "Here is Aragorn, soon to be king of Gondor. Will you follow where he leads and call him husband?"

"I will," she said, placing the ring on his finger and standing on her tiptoes to kiss his forehead.

"Please repeat after me," Gandalf said to the couple, "I stand here on this day to show that we are an inseparable bond." He paused, taking their hands and laying them on top of each other's. "To show that I will fight to protect the other and that I will be true to them." He took a piece of fabric and folded it over one of their hands then continued. "That for as long as our lives may be, we will be as one." He tied the cord around the other hands.

As they finished repeating the words Eowyn hesitated, she looked into Aragorn's eyes then finished. "As long as our lives may be."

"Please seal your union," Gandalf finished.

Aragorn stepped forward and Eowyn came to meet him, their lips touching softly. Eowyn slipped her hands from the bindings and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him as the sun set into the horizon.

Cheering erupted from the crowd. Eowyn turned and smiled at them as they began to walk down the aisle again. Aragorn wrapped his arms around her waist as they walked and whispered in her ear. Eowyn blushed and looked down then stopped. She reached up and kissed him again, running her fingers through his hair, holding him as tight as she could. He pulled her into his arms then into the air. She laughed as he carried her the rest of the way to the back of the garden, the people leaving their seats to follow them, still clapping.

..::..

Aragorn sat at the head of the table, his new bride beside him. He smiled as his closest friends sat around him, all laughing and talking at once. He turned to Eowyn and smiled at her, she wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him closer to her and kissed him. Merry and Pippin hooted, turning everyone's attention to them. Aragorn smiled, slightly embarrassed, and wrapped an arm around her waist.

Gandalf stood and raised his glass. "A toast," he said. "To who seem to be the happiest couple in Gondor."

"In Middle Earth!" Pippin yelled. The room laughed then drank.

Eowyn looked at the inside of her goblet then hesitantly sipped, immediately she regretted it. Her head began to spin and she had to grab the table to try and steady herself. Aragorn's hold on her tightened and he looked down with concern. When Eowyn opened her eyes she realized that both Aragorn and Eomer were looking at her. She swallowed and looked at her brother pleadingly.

Eomer's eyes met Aragorn's and he nodded. Eomer stood and stretched. "It's getting late and everyone knows that tomorrow will be a long day." Aragorn stood too and helped Eowyn, his arm still around her. Eowyn smiled bravely at the rest of the people in the room then followed her brother and husband out of the room. As soon as they were out of sight Eowyn collapsed against Aragorn. He took her chin in his hand and looked at her face. "Why is she so pale?" Eomer asked.

Aragorn turned to him. "She needs rest." He kissed her forehead. "Let's go to bed," he said, folding her into his arms and resting his chin on her head. Eowyn laid her head on his chest and let her eyes close. "You're cold," he whispered, scooping her into his arms.

..::..

Aragorn reached for the door handle then kicked the door open. Taking a step into the room, he set Eowyn down gently then closed the door behind them, his eyes still on her. In the dark room Eowyn glowed, her ivory skin a matching color to the white gown she wore. Aragorn took a step forward and placed his hand on her cheek, looking down into her eyes, deep and blue as the sea. "Eowyn," he breathed, his voice deep and husky, full of love and lust; not able to find the words to describe her beauty.

Behind them the door to the balcony stood open, the chill spring air blowing on them. Eowyn shuddered, leaning into Aragorn. His hands ran over her bare arms. "Let me build a fire for us," he said. Eowyn nodded but she didn't let go of her hold on him, she just stood looking at him for a second longer. Aragorn brushed their lips together and tasted wine and fruit on her lips. He took a breath, looking at his wife then turned to empty the fire pit.

Eowyn smiled as he worked then took a small branch that he had lit so that she could light the candles that sat around the room. When she was finished Aragorn still stooped by the fire, adding log after log until it blazed. He stood looking at the flames then turned.

Eowyn stood in front of him, slightly bent, just stepping out of her gown. As she straightened Aragorn felt his breath leave him. Her skin had turned to cream in the moonlight, her cheeks flushed from the fire. Her long hair fell around her shoulders like a golden waterfall, the white flowers still hanging on here and there. She stood there, letting Aragorn look at her smiling. Her body was perfect, small, and strong. His eyes wandered from her face down to her breasts, then down again following the lines of her stomach to the dark hair between her legs. He felt himself growing hard just at the sight of her standing in front of him.

She took a step towards him, leaving her clothes behind in a heap on the floor behind her. He came to meet her, their mouths joining instantly. Aragorn's hands gripped her waist, feeling her soft skin under his big hands. The sweetness of her mouth made him dizzy. Her arms snaked around his neck, pulling him down closer and deepening their kiss.

Aragorn let her lips go, touching their foreheads together. "I've missed your touch," he said, pulling her body close to his, holding her to him. Eowyn laid her head on his chest, one arm wrapped around him, the other hand gripping his arm. "I thought I had lost you so many times over. I thought I had lost you," he said into her hair.

Eowyn looked up at him with her deep sea eyes and kissed him long and hard. Aragorn pulled his shirt up over his head, pausing their kiss for only a second then diving in again and backing them up towards the bed. Eowyn broke their lips apart, her chest heaving, sucking in breaths. She sat down on the bed, her hands coming up to the drawstrings of his pants, her fingers lingering on the perfection of his muscled abdomen. She looked up at his face as he watched her work. His dark hair hung down in loose waves around his face, just brushing his shoulders, and casting dark shadows over the angles of his face, the manly line of his jaw, and his high cheekbones. Her hands moved around to his backside, slipping his pants down his legs; her hands running over the hard muscles that lay under his skin.

Aragorn crawled over top of her, picking her up as he moved and laying her down on the bed under him. Eowyn lay on her back, her face surrounded by a pool of hair. Aragorn looked down at her. "You're so beautiful," he said, leaning down to touch her lips with his, kissing her tenderly. He felt her breasts brush his chest and a shiver ran down his spine. His hands moved down, running his fingers over her nipples. Eowyn moaned into their kiss and pressed his hands harder into her, Aragorn obeyed, massaging her soft skin.

Eowyn pressed herself against him, need welling up inside of her, driving her mad. "Aragorn," she said, her voice breathy in his ear. Aragorn moved down, kissing her neck. Eowyn's eyes squeezed shut, breathing hard. She arched her back, breathing his name.

Aragorn smiled as he kissed the skin covering her shoulders and chest. He could never grow tired of the sound of his name on her lips. Eowyn's arms wrapped around his neck, pulling his lips back to hers. She pushed him over onto his back, her knees slipping over his leg. Aragorn lay flat on his back, looking up at her as she began to move herself back and forth, using his leg to press against her wetness. Aragorn let a smile spread across his face at her moans of pleasure.

Suddenly Aragorn sat up, no longer able to be away from her. He grabbed her hips and connected her lips, kissing her so deeply he felt the corners of his vision grow dark. He lifted her for a second, slipping into her. Eowyn gasped, her eyes closing, her head falling so that her forehead rested on his cheek. Aragorn pressed his lips to her face then flipped them over again, pushing down hard into her. Eowyn groaned as he pushed and pulled on her body. She came with a gasp, holding onto him for dear life. She wrapped her legs around his back as he came inside of her, his eyes closing.

Eowyn sat up, forcing Aragorn up as well. "Eowyn," he breathed, resting his head on her shoulder, utterly spent. She turned them, slightly laying him back down on the pile of pillows at the head of the bed. Aragorn's hand came to the back of her neck, pulling her down to kiss him.

"This can't end," Eowyn said, her eyes closed. Their bodies were pressed together, covered in a sheen of sweat. "I don't want morning to come."

Aragorn's hand still rested on her neck and he pulled her down for another kiss before he answered her. "We have each other for this night, that's all that matters," Aragorn said, rolling onto his side.

Eowyn tucked her head in under his chin and curling her body into his. "Just for tonight," she said sadly.


	20. War Pigs

**Summary: Songfic to War Pigs by Black Sabbath. watch?v=uJ6QHfZwTSw Eowyn copes with being alone while Aragorn rides to Mordor. Rated T by Savannah (Eowyn & Aragorn)**

March 18 - April 4, 3019

Aragorn sat on the edge of his bed, his head in hands. The sun had almost crossed the line of the horizon, it lingered at the edge of morning, casting a purple glow into the sky. Aragorn turned around slowly, the bedframe creaking. The hard, thick muscles of his back bulged with the simple movement, every muscle in his body was tense. His eyes fixed on Eowyn's face, the sight alone seemed to calm the buzzing he felt in every cell of his body. He stared at her as she slept, trying to memorize the way she looked, the way her body lay wrapped up in the thin white sheet, the fuzz of hair that created a halo around her face, her soft pale skin, the few freckles on her nose, the softness of her dark eyelashes. But most of all, the peace that only sleep could bring. He reached his hand out, letting it hover over her face, wanting to touch her, to feel the warmth of her skin, but he drew back, unable to break the serenity that hung over like a cloud.

He stood suddenly, his eyes closing tightly. He couldn't look at her, he couldn't let his mind wander to what would happen if he didn't leave. The prospect of life made him feel dizzy when he was so resigned to death. He walked to the window and threw it open, collapsing onto the frame. He breathed in the spring air, the weight of the world pressing down on him, suffocating him and pressing the air from his lungs. 'Time,' he thought to himself, the sun rose in the east. 'Time has run out.' He heard Eowyn stir, the cool air brushing against her bare skin. He shut the window and walked resolutely to where his armor lay waiting for him.

Eowyn blinked her eyes open, the morning sun streamed through the room. She sat up, slowly looking around the room until she found him hunched over the dressing table. He stood half dressed, his chest bare and one vambrace strapped to his arm, the other still waiting in its place. She almost smiled to herself then remembered what the day had in store for them. The smile faded from her face. She stood, wrapping the sheet around herself and walked to Aragorn. She laid her hands on his shoulders, running them down his arms. "I love you," she said, laying her head in the small space between his shoulder blades. She felt tears spring into her eyes as she held him close.

The early morning sun poured through their windows, warming the air. Eowyn smiled and closed her eyes, the feeling of sun almost forgotten in the dark of the past days. Aragorn took a shaking and turned around, holding onto Eowyn as if she was life itself. His big arms wrapped around her, his fingers tangled in her hair, crushing her body to his. "Never leave me," Eowyn said.

Aragorn breathed and let her go. Turning back to his armor, he picked up a shirt and pulled it over his head. Silently, he began to pull on his gear; tightening the buckles and the straps until they dug into his skin. He stopped when he felt Eowyn's fingers brush over his arm. He stared down as her hands undid his work, loosening the straps and buckles. Then, in a sudden rush of emotion, he began to speak. "Eowyn, if I never see you again I want to you know I love you. I have loved you since the first moment I saw you, and I will continue to love you until the end of this world and into the next."

"Shhh," Eowyn interrupted him. Laying her hand on his cheek, she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him slowly and lovingly. She said nothing for a long time, she simply looked at him. "I'm glad I'm here with you," she said. "If the world is going to be destroyed then I'm glad we had this time together."

Aragorn nodded, his mind returning to the present. "If this city falls you must flee," he said. "There will be no refuge in these walls, the city will burn."

Eowyn smiled sadly. "Why would I run? If you were gone there would be nowhere to go and no reason."

Aragorn folded her into his arms. "I love you," he said in her ear.

..::..

Eomer walked through the hallways leading up to Aragorn and Eowyn's room. He walked as slowly as he could, barely putting one foot in front of the other. When he reached the door he hesitated then raised his hand to knock.

..::..

Aragorn sighed as the knock sounded on the big wooden door. It was a hollow noise, empty and emotionless. His arms unwrapped from around Eowyn and walked to the door, letting it swing open on its hinges. Eomer stood in the frame. "The generals are readying the army, we march before the sun is at its peak." He looked to Eowyn, an apology in his eyes. She smiled back at him halfheartedly, her eyes still full of sorrow.

"I will be in the stables within the hour," Aragorn answered. "The men will have to be organized and horses distributed…" He trailed off, his mind in a completely different world. He walked away from the door; his back hunched and his brow knit together in thought.

Eomer's eyes met Eowyn's again and she walked to meet him. Eomer's lips curved up in a sad smile, his hand moved to touch her cheek. "Love him," he said.

Eowyn nodded. "I do," she said.

"Today he needs you more than ever. Not in the way he normally would, today he carries the weight of Middle Earth on his shoulders."

Eowyn looked back to Aragorn, he stood oblivious to their conversation. She looked at her brother, the boy she known all her life and saw the king, the horse lord, and the man he had become. She nodded. "I will." Eomer leaned forward and kissed her forehead then closed the door between them.

After the door had swung shut behind her Eowyn walked back to Aragorn. She pulled the last bits of courage from inside of her and stood watching him put on the rest of his armor. He pulled the last piece over his head, the heather jacket with the tree of Gondor in silver on his breast. Eowyn felt her breath catch in her throat, the sight of him standing in front of her filled her with pride but also despair. They stood looking at each other for a moment; Aragorn, a king ready for battle, and Eowyn, her hair haloed around her head and her body wrapped only in a sheet.

Aragorn stepped forward. "I must go," he said. Eowyn nodded, pressing back the tears that started to spring into her eyes. Aragorn put his hands on her arms. "I will see you at the gates before the farewell."

Eowyn nodded, unable to meet his eyes, trying to be strong for him. She felt his bend to kiss her forehead and she forced her eyes to look into his, a single tear trailing down her cheek. Aragorn's grey eyes looked cold as steel but as he looked at her his face softened and his hand moved to brush the tear away, his fingers lingering on her skin. Eowyn watched as he turned away from her and left the room, she felt the tears well up in her eyes and the lump in her throat grow until she could hold it down no longer. She sunk to her knees and let the sobs take over her whole body.

Aragorn stood on the other side of the door, it had taken every bit of his strength to walk away from and now he leaned on the solid wooden door. Every piece of him screamed to go back to her, to hold her in his arms for the rest of time and let what may come, come. But he knew who he was, and he knew what he had to do. He stood for a second longer, listening to Eowyn cry, then walked down the hall wiping at the tears that fell onto his cheeks.

..::..

The sound of the horses' hooves on the white city stone sounded like the starting of rainfall. The dark clouds overhead threatened the same rain. "A storm is coming," Eomer said. Aragorn turned back to look at him as their horses walked slowly side by side.

"In more way than one," Gimli said, his voice gruff.

Aragorn turned his face back to the crowd around him, people line the streets dressed in black as if for a funeral. Aragorn looked out above them, not meeting the eyes of the people.

Eomer watched as Aragorn led the red of the army out of Gondor, but what he saw was not the man he had known. He had turned hard, cold, and distant; but he had also become a king, only a glimpse of the ranger was left. Eomer looked up and saw his sister, her golden hair blowing in the stormy air. She looked like she had a long time ago, before she had ever met Aragorn after their parents had died, when she stood on the brink of despair. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Aragorn staring at her as well, soaking in the look of her as if it were the last time he would look on her.

Eowyn stood in the large open courtyard surrounded by cold white stone, a giant horse statue towering in front of her. Faramir stood beside her and the officials of Gondor too. She waited, looking at the rows of women holding flowers, tears streaming down their faces; she took a shaking breath. _"Be strong for him,"_ she heard her brother say in her mind. She watched as the men started to ride from the stables into the courtyard. Three horses led them; Gandalf, Eomer, and Aragorn. They came slowly towards her and the small group of old and wounded men. Eowyn's eyes met Aragorn's, her breath caught in her throat and tears stung her eyes.

Aragorn swung down from his saddle and walked up the three steps, his cloak blowing around him in the wind. He stood in front of the line of men as they said a few small words of blessing. Words that Aragorn didn't even hear, his eyes fixed on Eowyn's. Finally he came to her, they looked at one another, their eyes communicating without words, things too precious to say aloud. Aragorn's hand came to rest on Eowyn's cheek and she held it there with her own, her head leaning into his touch. She blinked and tears spilled down her cheeks. Aragorn folded her into his arms, holding her close to his chest. Silently, she cried, the tears dripping down her face onto his breast.

When Aragorn let her go she looked up into his soft grey eyes. "Come back to me," she said quietly, her eyes wide and pleading.

Aragorn looked down into the depths of her deep blue eyes, his hand still resting on her arm. Without a word he leaned down and kissed her. When they parted they looked at each other for another moment, saying a silent farewell, unaware of the many eyes watching them. Then Aragorn stepped away from her and suddenly she was aware of the cold after the warmth of his body.

Four more men walked past her but she could only mumble a few words. Eowyn looked down, ashamed of the tears trailing down her face. After all the men had gone past and were back on their mounts Eowyn looked up. She felt her heart clench as she watched the men she care most about ride out through the gates. Just before they were out of the gates Aragorn turned back to look at her, his silver eyes full of sadness and love, then he disappeared around the corner.

Eowyn's breath caught in her lungs and a sob tore through her. She wrapped her arms around herself, covering her mouth with her hand, her shoulders caving inwards as she sobbed. People started to turn and walk away now that all the soldiers had gone, but Eowyn stayed, holding her arms around herself, her clothes blowing in the wind The dark clouds that had been in the distance were overhead, blotting out the sun and giving the city a ghostly glow. She felt a hand touch her shoulder and she flinched away. Eowyn turned to him, her eyes blazing and angry words on her lips.

The blue eyes that met hers were soft and kind, and when he spoke his voice was gentle and comforting. "Eowyn," Faramir said. "It's been hours."

Eowyn looked up, the courtyard was deserted and she was left standing with her tears. The wind gusted around the two figures. Faramir's hand lingered on her arm. As they stood, the rain began, small drops blown so hard by the wind that they stung like needles on their skin.

"Eowyn, please come inside with me," he said, the wind blowing his hair into his face.

Eowyn looked up into his pleading eyes then to the gate where Aragorn had rode away what seemed like only minutes ago.

"Eowyn, please," Faramir said.

She turned back to his face, to his eyes just as broken as her own. She nodded.

..::..

Faramir walked through the halls of Gondor in the glowing dark. Candles were lit to fight off the dusk but they did little but cast their own shadows. "Eowyn," he called into the dark and empty chambers, not finding her anywhere. Finally, he caught a glimpse of her long hair, golden in the low light. "Eowyn," he said, but she didn't move at his voice.

Eowyn knelt beside a low bed, her head bent and her hands resting in her lap. He walked towards her, his steps slow and pained. She looked like an angel sent to stand watch over the dead. As he came to a stop beside her she looked up at him, her cheeks were flushed and tears streamed down her face, and yet she was still beautiful. "I can't live here alone," Eowyn said, breaking their silence. She reached out her hand so that it rested on the cold flesh of Arwen's arm.

"Come away from all of this death," Faramir said, looking over at the rows of bodies lying in the candlelight.

"Death is all that is left for us now," Eowyn said, not looking away from Arwen's white face.

Faramir knelt beside her. "There is so much more for you," he said. In his mind he saw her smile, heard her laugh, and even thought of her touch.

Tears fell down her face. "Please, just leave me here," Eowyn said pleadingly.

"I won't ask you to leave," Faramir said. Eowyn breathed in relief, laying her head on the side of the bed.

"I will not leave you here alone." In her mind, Eowyn saw the twins running through the gardens, falling over one another. A deep sadness filled her till it consumed her, drowning her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, but it did nothing to ease her pain.

"Eowyn," Faramir said, kneeling beside her, listening to her sobs. "Why do you do this to yourself? Do not linger with those who have passed, you only cause yourself pain."

Eowyn turned to him, her eyes blazing through her tears. "Do not tell me not to mourn for those who I love." Faramir nodded and touched her cheek, but she shrugged away from him and looked back to Arwen. She wrapped her arms around herself, rocking back and forth, sobbing until her vision grew dark and she felt herself falling.

..::..

Eowyn lay curled in a ball on Aragorn's bed, her eyes red with tears. Her whole body shook with sobs, she couldn't shake the images of Legolas and Arwen from her mind, but the dreams were worse. She lay, the tears that never seemed to dry blurring her vision. She closed her eyes and tried to breath.

" _Arwen!" Eowyn sceamed, trying to run to her but it was too late, the arrow hit her, slicing over her collarbone and into her neck. Eowyn screamed, watching the blood pour down Arwen's chest. She finally broke through the barrier of Orcs just in time to catch Arwen. She lowered the Elf slowly to the ground. Arwen coughed, the blood trailing down the side of her face. Eowyn felt hot tears trail down her cheeks. "Arwen," she sobbed over and over. "Keep your eyes open."_

 _Arwen smiled at her. "This is what I need," Arwen choked._

 _Slowly, Eowyn watched as the life flickered out of Arwen's blue eyes. Her sobbing intensified until she was completely bent over Arwen's body. She screamed in anguish, the battle still raging on around her._

 _Suddenly they were on the shore. Eowyn knelt waist deep in the cool water. Arwen was still in her arms. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Legolas behind her. Eowyn turned back to Arwen and watched as she stood and went to stand with Legolas. Eowyn looked down at the body still in her arms._

" _You have to let us go," Legolas said, his lips unmoving._

" _No," Eowyn breathed. Arwen turned to Legolas, resting her head on his shoulder, but Legolas' eyes were still fixed on Eowyn. "No," Eowyn said louder. Arwen whispered something in Legolas' ear and he nodded, they began to walk away, their already shady appearance slowly disappearing. "No!" Eowyn screamed. "Don't leave me! Don't leave me here alone!" But they were gone. Eowyn looked down at what had been Arwen and gently released it into the current._

Eowyn snapped awake, fresh tears trailing down her cheeks. Every time her eyes closed she watched them die, but it always ended the same. She always screamed for them not to leave her, but they always did, they always left her whether they wanted to or not. And now Aragorn had left her too. Eowyn lay on the bed, utterly alone. She wondered what it would be like to follow Legolas and Arwen across the water. She could almost feel the cool water rushing over her skin.

In a daze she climbed form the bed, she walked across the room and into the bathing room. She looked at the maid that was folding towels. "Fill it," she said. "With cold water." The maid nodded then left the room.

Soon the tub was filled and Eowyn waited till the room was empty before pulling her nightdress over her head and climbing into the icy water. She sunk into it, farther and farther until she felt it wash over her. She felt it cool the hotness of her tear stained face and wash away the dried salt of her tears. She looked up through its glassy surface until her lungs began to burn. She saw a face leaning over the water. She smiled, knowing it was almost time to walk across the water.

Eowyn's smile faded when she realized the person was yelling. A hand plunged into the water and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her out of the water. Eowyn came up sputtering. "Faramir!" she yelled, water dripping down her face.

Faramir looked back at her confused. "How long were you planning to be under?" he asked.

Eowyn looked at him, her blue eyes blazing. "What are you doing in here?" she asked, trying to cover herself.

Suddenly, he realized and turned around. "I'm sorry," he said. "You told me to come and get you when we were talking yesterday."

Eowyn stared at him. "Get out!" she yelled. Faramir left the room and Eowyn fell back into the water, frustrated.

..::..

Faramir stood outside Eowyn's door, his arms were crossed as he tried to push the image of Eowyn's body from his mind. From behind him he heard the door creak open and Eowyn slipped out. She was clothed and her hair lay damp around her shoulders. She looked up at him, her eyes red with tears. Faramir touched her arm. "I'm sorry," the body said at once.

Faramir smiled then spoke. "It is I who should apologize. It was not my place to come into your chambers."

Eowyn shook her head. "I told you to come to me. If you hadn't…" she trailed off, not meeting his eyes.

Faramir took her arm in his. "Shall we walk?" he said.

Eowyn nodded and they started off together. They walked together out of the royal chambers and up winding staircases and long halls, Faramir guiding Eowyn through the unfamiliar city. Eowyn looked up from their conversation and stopped talking. "Faramir, you're white," she said. They stopped walking and she began to realize how heavily he leaned on her arm. "We need to stop," she said. "You need to rest."

Faramir nodded. "Let's go to the garden, it's not far. Then we can sit there together."

Eowyn nodded and wrapped her arm around his waist, helping him to walk. When they reached the garden Eowyn eased him to the ground, leaning his back against the only tree. He winced and wiped the cold sweat from his face. Eowyn knelt in front of him. "Take off your shirt," she said. "Let me check your bandages.

Faramir tugged on the hem of his shirt, sucking in a painful breath. He felt Eowyn's cool hands brush over his skin and lift the loose fitting shirt over his head. Eowyn looked at his body, he was smaller than Aragorn, his skin hairless and lighter, but the hard muscles that lay under his skin were just as pronounced. Faramir watched as she lifted the blood stained cloth from the arrow wounds in his chest. He smiled at her gaze and focus, her cold hands a relief to his burning skin. She tightened the cloth and he gasped but then felt relief.

"How do you know healing?" he asked, grabbing her hand as she drew back.

"I've spent enough time with Aragorn to have learned," she said, looking at their joined hands. Her eyes flickered up to see Faramir staring at her. She pulled her hand out of his and glanced around the garden, searching for something else to look at. As she did her heart sank. Rows of chairs stood, some toppled over, and thin pieces of white cloth that had hung from the tree to walls now dangled, blowing ghostly in the wind. Around her feet lay white wilted flowers. Tears sprung into her eyes and she stood, backing away from Faramir. "Why have you brought me here?" she asked in disbelief and horror. Tears dripped down her cheeks.

"Eowyn, I'm sorry," Faramir said, trying to stand. "I did not realize this would still be here. I forgot this is where…" He trailed off as Eowyn began to walk towards the edge of the garden to see the view high above the city. For a paralyzing moment he thought she meant to jump off, and in his mind he saw his father the way he had seen him falling in his dreams. But she turned back to him, her face wet with tears.

"It's so cold here," she said.

Faramir nodded, looking down at her. Her hair was dry and it blew in the stray wind, her blue eyes were red and shining with tears. He went to her and before Eowyn knew what was happened she was in Faramir's arms. She felt the warmth of his body close her in. She felt connected to him as if his pain, his hurt, and his understanding seeped into her body washing away her own grief.

..::..

Eowyn stood waiting on a slightly elevated platform, beside her stood Faramir, his arms crossed and standing completely still. Eowyn, on the other hand, paced back and forth, unable to stop moving. Finally, the great gates opened. Eowyn's face broke into a smile as men began to pour into the city, but it faded. "No," she said when the man she was looking for didn't come through. Tears began to stream down her face. "No," she choked. She tried to run but for the first time Faramir moved and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Let me go," she yelled, kicking against him.

"Shhh," he whispered in her ear, holding her tight.

Eowyn began to sob, resting in Faramir's arms, her knees giving out, knowing that Aragorn was not coming back.

Faramir scanned the crowds of soldiers, praying desperately that Aragorn would ride through the gates. But even his hope failed when the carts of the wounded came rolling in. He turned Eowyn around, hiding her face in his chest so she would see him lying with the dead. Faramir scanned the crowds one last time, looking for his king. Something caught his eye and he had to look again. There he was, at the end of the line, making sure everyone had made it into the city. Faramir leaned down to where Eowyn's eyes were buried in his chest. He hesitated, the feeling of her body so close to his… "Look," he whispered finally.

Eowyn lifted her eyes and followed to where Faramir pointed. Her sobs turned to laughter and she bolted, this time Faramir let her go. She ran through the crowds, her hair streaming behind her.

Aragorn looked over the masses of men, his face betraying how tired he felt. Something made him stop, his face lit up and he smiled when he saw her running towards him. Eowyn came to skidding stop beside him, he pulled her up onto the horse. Eowyn grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him passionately. He wrapped his arms around her small waist and pulled her closer, kissing her in return.

"Stop it," Eomer said. "You're going to suck his face off.

Eowyn broke their kiss and looked at her brother, her head resting on Aragorn's chest. Aragorn closed her eyes and laid his face on the top of her head, breathing in her smell. 'The smell of home,' he thought.

"I see you made it out alive," Eowyn said to Eomer.

"But not unscathed," he answered, turning to show her a long gash along the side of his face.

"Your face," Eowyn said. "Your pretty face. Any hope of you finding a girl is gone."

Eomer glared at her. "And why do you think that?" he asked.

"Any hope for you was your good looks and now those are gone too," Eowyn said mockingly.

Eomer rolled his eyes. "I will bet you the blade I used to kill the Orc who cut me that I will have three women in my bed tonight."

Aragorn chuckled but Eowyn only wrinkled her nose in disgust. She moved out of Aragorn's embrace and stuck out her hand. "It's a deal," she said. Eomer laughed his signature laugh and spurred his horse on ahead of them.

"I think you're going to lose that bet," Aragorn said, looking around at all the women smiling down at them from balconies and windows.

"I don't care what Eomer does tonight," she said looking into her husband's eyes. "I know what I will be doing." Aragorn smiled down at her and kissed her again, running his hand over the bare skin of her leg where her dress was bunched up. Out of the corner of her eye Eowyn saw Faramir standing alone, his eyes on her, staring at the hand on her leg.

"I love you," Aragorn said, turning her eyes back to his with just a word.

Eowyn smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him as close to her as she could. She could feel the warmth of him, his breath on her neck, and his heart beating against hers.


	21. Unsteady

**Summary: Songfic to Unsteady by X Ambassadors watch?v=3qylVfY . Friends and family gather for Arwen's funeral, and a secret of Arwen's passing is revealed to Eowyn. Rated K+ by Caitie (Eowyn & Aragorn)**

April 8-10, 3019

Text written in bold type is spoken in Elvsih. Text written in italics is Elvish.

 _Cold blue eyes stared painfully at Aragorn. He stood on the blade of knife and across from him stood Arwen, precariously balancing on the tip of the blade. Wind blew ceaselessly on them, pushing Arwen even closer to the edge. "Arwen!" he called out to her. He stretched his arm out towards Arwen, his hand open to grasp hers._

" _You failed me," Arwen said, her voice low as it carried on the wind. She took her last step back and disappeared over the edge._

 _The world around Aragorn flashed red, reflecting off of the blade and rippling in the light, as if it were a sea of blood. Aragorn raced forward, slipping of the metal beneath him and crashing to his knees at the edge. "Arwen!" he shouted, looking over the edge of the blade. The wind picked up making waves crest on the ocean of blood beneath him._

" _You failed me," Arwen said again as the waves crashed over her body. His mother was with her, Gilraen; Legolas and Theoden too, all the people he'd failed in his life were thrown about in the ocean._

 _He heard the words Galadriel had said to the Fellowship in the air above him. "The quest stands upon the edge of a knife, stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all." The wind blew furiously and Aragorn watched helplessly as his loved ones disappeared into the blood filled sea. "To the ruin of all."_

..::..

"Arwen!" Aragorn woke up shouting her name. A cold sweat lingered on his skin as he fought to catch his breath. He buried his face in his hands and tried to forget the nightmare. He heard her voice in his head, _"You failed me."_ He closed his eyes and saw hers in his head, cold blue eyes devoid of life. _"You failed me."_ Aragorn shook his head, his fists clenching in the sheets. "No," he said as he lifted his head. He looked next to him and saw Eowyn sleeping with the sheets pulled up to her chin. He leaned down and kissed her forehead before carefully rising from the bed.

Grabbing the first shirt he could find Aragorn started towards the door of their room. He pulled it over his head as he traveled through halls until he was out in the open air. His bare feet walked across the cold stone roads down to the sixth circle of the city. He had to see her. It was only a matter of minutes before the mortuary rose up before him.

Aragorn wasn't thinking anymore, something was pulling him towards her, a force that could not be stopped, not that he wanted to stop it. He had been down here once since bringing Arwen here, and he didn't even look at her then, he couldn't, not after he'd failed her. A sea of low palette beds stretched out before him and instantly his eyes were drawn to her bed. She was easily recognized, her long black hair and white dress sticking out amongst the soldiers' armored bodies. His feet didn't make a sound as he walked over to her.

A thin white strip of linen had been laid over her neck and in Aragorn's mind he could see the jagged bloody line across her throat, the final blow that killed her. The dress she wore covered the rest of her wounds but Aragorn knew what was there. His eyes avoided her face, he couldn't look at her face without hearing her words ring in his head. _"You failed me."_

Aragorn felt himself sit down on the cold floor beside her and blindly his hand reached for hers. He sat like that for hours, not saying anything, not even moving. His eyes were closed but he was wide awake. "I'm so sorry," he said finally. He looked up at her face, its usual porcelain color was ashen and her lips were a light purple. A blue bruise was on her jaw and cheek bone but she was as beautiful as ever. "I'm so sorry, Arwen," he said again, feeling tears start to leak from his eyes. "I promised to protect you and I couldn't. It's my fault. I failed you." He squeezed her hand tighter as the tears flowed freely, the tears he'd held at bay since he'd given her to the mortuary attendants. "I failed you."

..::..

"M'lady." Someone shook Eowyn's shoulder. "M'lady, please wake up."

Eowyn groaned. "What is it?" she asked without opening her eyes.

"I'm sorry, m'lady, there is someone here for your and Lord Aragorn.

Eowyn rolled over and hugged the sheets closer to her body. She opened her eyes expecting to see Aragorn but he was gone. She sat up and looked around the room. "Where is Aragorn?" she asked the young girl that hovered next to the bed.

"We do not know, but they want to see you now, m'lady."

"Who are they?" she asked, half-expecting it to be another city official that need to speak to them promptly.

The girl shook her head.

Eowyn sighed. "Alright," she said. "Give me ten minutes." The girl scurried from the room as Eowyn climbed out of bed, holding the sheets against her body as she looked for a dress. She settled on a blue one and quickly braided her hair out of her face before walking out into the hallway and finding the young girl.

Immediately the girl led Eowyn through the halls to the main court. Eowyn stopped, her feet suddenly unwilling to go any further. Her heart beat a mile a minute and she could hear it beating in her ears. She felt her heart clench at the sight of Alida and Leonid sitting on the floor playing quietly with each other. "My lady Eowyn," Elrond said, his voice deep as it echoed through the room. All eyes were on her and still she could not move, she couldn't lift her gave from the children.

"Are you alright, m'lady?" the young maid asked Eowyn.

Hesitantly, she nodded. "Go find Aragorn," she said, her voice just barely above a whisper.

"Eowyn," Elrond said again after the girl had left, his voice friendlier than she had ever heard it before. He stood before her, his eyes broken with pain.

Eowyn met his gaze, his eyes were so much like Arwen's and it was then that she felt tears begin to form. She shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said as they started to spill down her face. She looked up at the others who had come. Elrond and his sons were there, Arwen's children had come, Galadriel and Celeborn were there as well. She looked past them and saw two more men, one she recognized as Hadrin, but the other took her breath away. "Legolas," she said quietly, not believing what she was seeing. But as he came closer she saw that it was not him, this man looked older, his eyes were colder and his face was firm.

"No," Galadriel said. "His father, King Thranduil." Eowyn's eyes found Galadriel's and in them she saw a reflection of her own pain. "Child," she said, her voice full of pity. She stepped forward and opened her arms to Eowyn who fell into them willingly. Galadriel's touch was motherly as she embraced Eowyn.

"I'm sorry," Eowyn found herself saying again."

"Shh," Galadriel whispered. "There is no need for you to apologize for this, it was not of your doing."

Still Eowyn cried and apologized until she heard soft pad of bare feet on stone floors come into the room. She looked over her shoulder to see Aragorn standing in the doorway. His steps slowed, it was clear he had not been expecting this. Eowyn let go of the older woman and started towards her husband.

"Aragorn," Elrond called to him.

Eowyn stopped and looked at Elrond as he slowly walked towards Aragorn. Eowyn could see the fear in Aragorn's eyes, she knew he blamed himself for Arwen's death. Elrond stopped in front of Aragorn and placed a hand on his shoulder. **"My son,"** he said, his voice full of sadness. **"Where is my daughter?"**

..::..

Candlelight flickered against the cold stone walls casting eerie shadows like ghosts that followed Elrohir down to the crypt. The stench of decay assaulted his senses with every heavy step he took. The air was cold and stale when he arrived to the lowest level of the mortuary, the crypt where important people waited to be placed in their eternal resting spot. In all the years he'd lived never had death hit Elrohir like this night. The pale faces of the dead looked up to the ceiling their eyes closed as if deep in sleep.

News of Arwen's passing had reached Rivendell quickly, Galadriel had seen it in her mirror. As soon as it had reached Elrohir's ears he had started the preparations for the journey to Minas Tirith and they had left before the sun rose the next morning. They'd met Galadriel and Celeborn in the Gap of Rohan, and the Mirkwood Elves just outside the borders of Gondor with Elrond who had waited nearby since meeting with Theoden's camp.

'She couldn't be dead,' he'd thought to himself the whole journey to Gondor. 'She couldn't be dead.' He had lost his mother, he could not lose his sister too. But as he descended further into the mortuary those thoughts started to fade from his mind.

Elrohir stopped, suddenly free from his thoughts. He stood amongst a sea of corpses, hundreds of bodies resting in wait. But there she was, her features easy to spot in this room full of soldiers. Her body not clad in the shining armor of those she shared the room with, instead she wore a simple white dress. He felt as if his world was crashing down around as he slowly walked towards her. 'She's sleeping,' he tried to tell himself. Her grey face told another story, her purple lips brought reality back, and the white rag that covered her throat brought Elrohir to his knees. His hand had a mind of its own as it slowly peeled the strip of fabric away. Tears filled his eyes and spilled down his face when he saw the wound that finished her. He dropped the fabric blindly and closed his eyes, his head resting on Arwen's collar bone as he cried. His now free hand held tightly onto one of her cold ones, squeezing it, hoping to bring life back into her.

Elrohir had never asked Galdariel what she'd seen in her mirror and now he wished he had, to prepare himself for this. Images of his mother flashed through his mind, she had been so weak when they'd found her and weaker still when they sent her away. He could see Celebrian in Arwen's face, she had their mothers smile and her eyes too. But now Arwen did not smile, her impassive expression resembling the look that constantly rested on Elrond's face.

The sound of heavy footfalls ripped Elrohir from his thoughts. His eyes searched the dark recesses of the room and rested on the silhouette of a man with wide shoulders. His blond hair glowed in the candlelight as he walked further into the room. "I'm sorry for intruding," he said in a deep voice. "I was looking for my sister, she comes down here often."

Elrohir watched him cautiously as he came closer. His eyes rested on the stranger's chest, a horse was embroidered on the man's green tunic. "You are the Lady Eowyn's brother," Elrohir stated more than asked.

"Yes," he said as he nodded. "I am Eomer." Eomer's eyes fell to Arwen's face, he sighed. "You look like her," he said. "You're one of her brothers?"

Elrohir nodded. "I am Elrohir," he answered.

"Elrohir," Eomer repeated the name. "She spoke of you once."

Elrohir lifted his eyes to Eomer's. "Did you know her well?"

Eomer shook his head. "No, but she was very close with Eowyn. After Legolas' passing I spent some time with her." Eomer reached for the strip of cloth and placed it back over Arwen's neck.

"Were you with her?" Elrohir asked suddenly. Eomer looked up at him. "Were you with her when she died?" He voice trailed off as he said those last words.

Eomer shook his head. "I was not," he answered. "I didn't make it to the city until it was finished." He looked down at Arwen's peaceful face. "She made it to the second level."

Elrohir nodded slowly. He looked down at Arwen's hand in his, he didn't notice that he still held it. "Was she alone?"

"There was boy," Eomer said. "Harmen was from Edoras, he met Arwen in Helm's Deep. He was the one who found her. Aragorn said there was also an orphan girl, I do not know her name." Eomer watched Elrohir's face, pain was evident in his eyes but his face shared Arwen's vacant expression. "I am sorry," he said again. "I lost my parents when I was boy."

Elrohir's tears stopped. "Elves do not know death," he said. "My mother left this world, but she is not dead." He set Arwen's hand back over the hilt of _Hadafang._ "Arwen is lost to me forever." He looked Eomer in the eyes for a short moment then left without another word.

..::..

Filtered moonlight glowed through sheer curtains into Eowyn and Aragorn's room. The night was silent in the citadel, a deep sadness resting over everyone. Eowyn watched mindlessly as the white curtains danced in the cool night air. Her eyelids grew heavy and in a matter of seconds she felt herself drift off into a deep dream filled slumber.

..::..

 _Crickets chirped loudly as they hid in the tall grass, so loudly that they woke Eowyn. She grumbled to herself about the nuisance of crickets. Her eyes opened hesitantly, the moon was high in the sky and stars glittered in the dark night. A silhouette sat beside the river and Eowyn knew in an instant who it was. As quietly as she could, Eowyn rose to her feet and crept toward Arwen._

" _I can hear you, Eowyn," Arwen said without turning around, her voice soft and low._

 _Eowyn sighed as she sat down beside the Elf. "It's not fair," she said. "I want to have hearing like yours."_

 _Arwen chuckled. "I'm sure you do."_

 _Eowyn turned her head to look at Arwen. Arwen's long hair fell around her shoulders and touched the grass she sat on. Her long legs were stretched out before her so her feet could dip into the Anduin. Arwen's face was turned to look up at the sky, the moonlight making her skin glow white and her eyes glitter like stars. "What are you doing over here?"_

 _Arwen smiled a little and closed her eyes. "When I was young my mother often took me to the waterfalls of Imladris."_

" _Imladris?" Eowyn said questioningly._

" _Rivendell," Arwen answered. "We call my home Imladris."_

" _Oh," Eowyn said, looking up at the sky._

" _When my mother left this place she told me to always remember her when I looked up at the moon, for she would always think of me when she looked at it."_

 _They sat in silence for a while, Eowyn listened to the crickets and Arwen took in the night. "What will you look at when I'm gone?" Eowyn asked suddenly._

 _For the first time that night Arwen looked at Eowyn. "I will pass from this earth long before you, my friend."_

" _But I'm a mortal," we die…"_

" _The sun," Arwen interrupted her. "If you should pass before I do I will look to the sun. For your fierce personality burns as it does." Arwen fingered a piece of Eowyn's long blonde hair before turning once more to the moon. "Can you think of anything more peaceful than the night?" she asked as she closed her eyes._

..::..

Eowyn's eyes opened slowly, the moon was still hanging in the dark night sky. Pale silver light made the room glow and in her mind she could still see Arwen sitting beside the river. She couldn't help but remember that night, they had continued to talk almost till daylight. She missed those nights, she missed those adventures, but mostly she missed her friends. Legolas had died just over a month ago now, it felt like it had been years, already pieces of him faded from her memory. She could still see his face, but his voice, his laugh had disappeared from her mind. And Arwen, she hadn't even been gone for a month yet and still she couldn't accept it.

Clouds blotted out the moon for a split second and Eowyn rose from the mattress and walked out onto the balcony. The moon reappeared and made the city beneath her glow white. On the pinnacle of the city she saw a woman, her long black hair streamed out beneath her as her bare feet walked on the stones. She turned back and Eowyn held her breath. Arwen smiled at her. Eowyn closed her eyes tight.

"Eowyn?" Aragorn said from the bed behind her. "Eowyn, are you alright?"

Eowyn heard him get out of bed felt his warm arms wrap around her. She opened her eyes, Arwen was gone. She looked around and peered over the balcony. "Where is she?" she said, looking frantically around. "Where did she go?"

"Who?" Aragorn asked as he looked over the city.

"Arwen," Eowyn said desperately.

Aragorn hesitated a moment, his body growing stiff at the sound of her name. "Eowyn," he said her name in a sigh.

Eowyn could feel tears start to pool in her eyes. "She was there, Aragorn." Aragorn's arms tightened around her body and she felt herself hug his arms closer to her. "She was there."

..::..

Eowyn sat at the main dining room table staring mindlessly before her. Her hands wrapped around a stone cup and through the steam escaping out of it she looked at the littered table top. _Hadafang_ rested closest to her in its plain leather scabbard, in the early morning light Eowyn could just make out the Elvish runes etched into the fabric. Beside it were Legolas' twin blades in their back sheath. Next were their bows, their quivers with whatever arrows they had left, and a collection of knives. The whole table was covered in their personal effects. The Evenstar necklace glittered in the sunlight in corner beside her and without thinking she picked it up and spun the chain in her fingertips.

"I remember when her mother gave that to her," Elrond said from behind her. Eowyn jumped in her chair and turned to see him all in black. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice low. "I didn't mean to startle you." He sat in a chair a few seats away from her and looked over the table. "I remember when I gave her this as well." His hand rested on the hilt of _Hadafang._ "It's funny how one thing can bring back so many memories." He smiled a little and looked over at Eowyn. "You miss her," he said.

Eowyn looked up at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "She was like a sister to me," she said hesitantly. "A friend, a sister, and a mother all at once."

Elrond nodded. "That sounds like my daughter." He paused, his eyes once more surveying the table. "Did she ever mention her uncle Elros to you?" Eowyn shook her head. "I didn't think so, she never knew him, he passed long before she was born into this world."

"Was he your brother?" Eowyn asked.

Elrond nodded slowly. "My twin actually, he older by just a few minutes but he always made sure to remind me of that fact." He chuckled.

"What happened to him?"

"My people are known as _Peredhil_ or Half-Elven, which means were are able to choose whether we wish to live immortal lives as Elves or chose to live like you. That is where the Numenor come from, Aragorn's people. I chose the life of an Elf, but Elros, he chose to live like a mortal, saying life means so much more if you know that one day your life will end. He was five hundred years old when he died, almost to the day in fact. I was with him when he died, I held his hand as he took his final breath." He sighed.

For a long while they sat in silence together. Eowyn continued to twirl the necklace in her fingers, watching the early morning sunlight reflect off the diamonds. "I saw her last night," Eowyn found herself saying without a thought. She looked up at Elrond and found his eyes were already on her. They weren't judging her, or pitying her, they were looking at her with understanding. "Not in my dreams," she started to explain. "I saw her last night walking in the moonlight by the white tree."

"When Elros left me and when Celebrian left me I saw them everywhere." Elrond said.

"But I thought your wife didn't die," Eowyn said.

"She didn't, but she is lost to me all the same." There was silence for another long moment. "Arwen knew," he said quietly. Eowyn looked up at him, her eyes questioning him. "Galadriel saw what would happen if Arwen should go, she would not listen."

Eowyn started to shake her. "No," she said refusing to accept it. "There's no way…"

"I know you don't want to believe it but it's true, Eowyn. I didn't want to believe it myself, but I know my daughter."

"If it's true then why did you let her go with Aragorn? You could have stopped her that night by the pass." Eowyn's eyes started to fill with tears.

"You know Arwen, you know her perhaps even better than I do. You know that she would not have stayed, no matter what I said to her, no matter what I did she still would have gone."

Eowyn's tears started to fall down her face. "She didn't know," Eowyn said through her tears. "She couldn't have known."

Elrond stood up from the table. "Eowyn," he said her name softly and put his hand on her shoulder. "We all have our own paths in life, some are longer, some are straighter, and some come to sudden ends. It was just time for Arwen's path to end. Do not let her end make you stray from your path, Eowyn."

As Elrond started to retreat from the room memories of that night by the pass flooded his mind. He stopped, his hand resting on the doorknob.

" _You can't go," Elrond said for what had to be the hundredth time._

 _Arwen walked away from him, tightening her leather vambraces as he went. "Father," she said, and in her voice he could hear her irritation. She sighed. "Sometimes you have to fight when all you want to do is fly. Do you know who told me that?"_

 _Elrond groaned. "That is not fair, you cannot use that against me."_

 _Arwen smiled. "Those are your words."_

" _Arwen..."_

" _No, Father," Arwen said, her head falling slightly to one side as she argued with him._

" _You know what she saw in her mirror."_

" _And you know that what she sees does not always come to pass."_

 _Elrond sighed. "There's no chance of me persuading you to come home is there?"_

" _I have to go," she said with finality. "It doesn't feel like home without him."_

 _Elrond looked at the woman in front of him, the daughter he'd known for so many years and in that moment he almost didn't recognize her. The woven bronze armor she wore glittered in the pale light of early morning, she reminded him so much of himself. He sighed as he realized he had never been more proud of her than now._

"Hold onto her, Eowyn," he said, as he looked over his shoulder to Eowyn. "Just because she has passed from us doesn't mean we have to let her go."

..::..

The sky was unnaturally bright for April, the sun shone down mockingly on Minas Tirith and all those within the city. The top tier of the city was crowded, people stood shoulder to shoulder along the outskirts of the uppermost level, the center left clear of observers. Those who had known Arwen stood just past the white tree, a pyre built in their midst. Eowyn averted her eyes, she looked at the people gathered before her, not Arwen's family but those who had come to pay their respects. There had to have been at least a hundred gathered here alone, and she knew without needing to look that the streets from the mortuary to seventh circle were crowded too. She felt an arm wrap around her waist and Aragorn held her close. She looked up at him. Aragorn stood tall, his face placid but his eyes pained. Was he holding Eowyn to comfort her or to comfort himself? Eowyn didn't know. She leaned into his body.

The sea of people before her parted as a pallet bed was carried through. Eowyn's breath caught in her throat and everyone grew silent. The Elves that carried Arwen slowly to the pyre wore bronze armor that reflected the sunlight. As they carried Arwen past her Eowyn had to force the tears back. They had dressed Arwen in a new white dress that contrasted against her hair, and in changing her they had removed the coverings on her wounds. The line across her throat was no longer harsh and red, but it was no less heartbreaking to see. She felt a hand on her shoulder and new it was Eomer's, her free hand covered his. Eowyn took in a breath then lifted her head, she would not break today.

Arwen was carefully set down on the pyre. Gandalf stood behind it and looked to Arwen's family and friends. He sighed. "On March fifteenth of the year three-thousand and nineteen a soul was lost." He paused for a brief moment. "A soul that will never be forgotten for all the years this world has left. Arwen Undomiel, the Evenstar of her people, fell in the Battle of Pelanor Fields. Let it not be said that she failed in the battle against darkness, for if not for her the outcome could have been very different."

Eowyn watched the sea of black through blind eyes. All but Arwen and her children wore black, even Gandalf had abandoned his white robes for the color of mourning. Her eyes turned to Alida and Leonid who sat at their grandfather's feet peacefully. Her heart broke every time she looked at them.

"Today, we come together to say farewell to a friend." Gandalf paused and looked to Eowyn, his grey eyes catching hers. "A sister, a daughter, a mother, a hero." He raised a hand to Arwen's family and one by one they each walked up to the pyre and placed a white flower upon the pyre, even Alida and Leonid.

Gandalf motioned for Aragorn to come up and Eowyn slowly followed. Her feet felt like they were made of stone, growing heavier and heavier with every step that carried her closer to Arwen. She clenched a white rose in her hand, the thorn pricked her skin but she took no notice of it. Her mind raced as she realized this would be the last time she looked upon Arwen's face. She tried to memorize every detail, every defining feature of her friend. She took her last step up the pyre and rested the bloodied rose on Arwen's chest. Eowyn felt a tear escape from her eye and watched it fall from her face onto Arwen's. She took in a shaky breath and leaned down to lightly kiss Arwen's forehead. "I will hold onto you," she whispered. Aragorn took her hand then and led her back to their place. His hand rubbed her arm as they stood back and he kissed the top of her head.

"Those of you that wish to pass on a token may come forth now." The sea of black moved forward like a slow wave. None of these people had known her and still they came to say their goodbyes. At the forefront of the sea was a young girl with light blonde hair and big sad green eyes. Eowyn knew at once that this had been the child Arwen died for. She carried a little white daisy in her small hands. Faramir walked behind the girl and picked her up when she came to pyre so that she could tuck the small flower in Arwen's hands. When the people were done Arwen was covered in a sea of flowers, you could hardly see the wood of the pyre anymore.

"It is time now to send her at last into the arms of Varda." A torch was passed to Gandalf, he sighed as he took it. **"Our hearts shall weep until we meet again,"** he said. He lowered the torch to the pyre, the flowers instantly catching the flames. _"Novaer."_ Farewell.

Eowyn's heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her throat once more as she watched the flames engulf Arwen's body. _"Nana,"_ Momma Alida said the word as clear as day and Eowyn knew that she was calling for Arwen. The small child started to cry and soon Leonid was crying with her. Eowyn felt as if her heart was going to break into a thousand pieces. She looked hesitantly up into the flames, blue eyes met hers through the fire, Arwen's blue eyes. But as soon as Eowyn saw her she was gone and Eowyn was left staring into the flames and listening to the cries of Arwen's children.

 **Author's Note: For the sake of the story let's just all pretend like Elves take forever to decompose. According to "noaver" is Sindarin for farwell, and "nana" is Sindarin for mother.**


	22. Dust to Dust

**Summary: Songifc to Dust to Dust by The Civil Wars /yJbmXvBJhCs The time for Aragorn to finally take his rightful place has finally come, but it is not as happy a time as it should be. Eowyn is plagued with dreams of the dead and Aragorn is full of grief and regret. Rated T by Savannah (Eowyn & Aragorn)**

" _Let's spar, child," Legolas said standing in a clearing of soft dark green grass. "Like we used to." In the moonlight his hair shone like silver and cool light made his bright blue eyes gleam. A soft fog hung on the ground around him, billowing in from the trees. His stance was relaxed, his arms rested by his sides, his shoulders sloped down as he waited to for Eowyn to attack._

 _Eowyn smiled and stood dropping Aragorn's hand and reaching for her sword. She walked carefully to him, crouched and ready. She swung at him first, her blade arcing, slashing through the night, but he raised his hand fast as lightning and he deflected the blow, letting her sword slide off his blade and hit the ground._

 _The happiness surrounded the dream like an embrace and Eowyn longed to stay in it forever. But as she watched it play out in her sleeping mind it began to change, the mist on the ground turned red as blood and Legolas' hands began to move faster and faster. Eowyn felt herself falling and she landed in a wet march where the soft grass had once been._

..::..

"She came in a few hours ago." The young girl smiled at Faramir, pointing through the dark library. "She was looking for old books of Rohan, they are on the very back wall."

Faramir nodded in thanks and walked down the long shelved aisles looking for any sign of the soon-to-be-queen. As he came to the very back of the library he saw her at the other side of the room; her small form dressed all in white, her long hair let loose around her, she stood looking like a beacon in the darkness. He smiled, turned in her direction, and began to walk towards her. But his feet slowed when he saw the way she leaned her head on the shelves, gripping onto them to hold herself up. He watched as a book fell from her hands, falling in a flutter of pages to the ground. "Eowyn," he said, walking slowly towards her. "Eowyn?" he said again, panicked as he watched her slip to the ground. He rushed to her, crouching beside her and laying his hand on her cold skin.

..::..

 _Eowyn lay in the cold green water, staring up at the fire blazing in Legolas' blue eyes. "I'm sorry," she pleaded, repeating the words over and over. "I'm sorry you died," she sobbed. A hand came to rest on her cheek, soft and comforting. "Legolas," she breathed. "I miss you," she said, her voice sounding like a child's in her own ears. The hand pushed her under the water so that it rushed over her, turning blue as the sea. As it filled her lungs Eowyn saw the same scene she saw in every nightmare. Arwen came and took Legolas' hand, and together they walked away from her into the deep blue sea._

..::..

"Eowyn!" Faramir yelled, looking down at the stillness of her chest and the purple tone of her lips. He lifted her limp body into his arms, pulling her into his lap. Then suddenly her eyes flew open and she stared up at him, not seeing. She breathed, sucking in air as if she was drowning. Faramir stood, holding her to him, and walked from the library to the Houses of Healing without a word. Eowyn laid her head on his chest, too weak to do anything else and watched as the hallway moved past her in a swirl. As she passed door she would see Legolas or Arwen standing in them, but she could only watch as she was rushed past them.

..::..

Aragorn stood in the middle of a group of old men, on the table in front of him lay piles of papers and drawings all detailing the damage and repairs done to the walls and lower levels of the city. His head spun with the figures and men all talking and discussing to one another. He watched as a young boy ran into the throne room and pushed through the crowd 'til he stood in front of him. He whispered to Aragorn as the words hit his ears. Aragorn felt the color run out of his face and without a word he took off in the direction of the Houses.

..::..

Eowyn laid in a giant bed propped up with pillows. A woman dressed all in white held a cup of tea up to her lips. Faramir stood in a corner of the room talking to the healer, speaking in low voices but Eowyn already knew what he was saying. "It is common for women with child to faint," she was saying.

"But you don't understand," Faramir said. "She wasn't breathing."

The healer shrugged. "We will keep her here and watch her, that is the most we can do."

Faramir looked past the healer, meeting Eowyn's eyes as the door flung open and Aragorn flew into the room. The healer moved from her bedside and Aragorn immediately took her place. He looked deep into Eowyn's eyes, his hand on her face. "Eowyn," he breathed, seeing the darkness under her eyes and the shallowness of her cheeks. His hand felt the cold sweat that clung to her skin. He turned to look at Faramir and the healer, his eyes asking for answers, his hand slipping from her cheek.

But Faramir's eyes met Eowyn's and she shook her head slowly. Before the healer could say a word Faramir stepped forward. "She fainted," he said, "in the royal libraries. I was there looking for the original plans for the city. I found her." Aragorn turned back to Eowyn, his face full of concern. The healer opened her mouth but Faramir silenced her with a wave of his hand. "The healer thinks it's a side effect of the black breath she suffered."

Eowyn looked at Aragorn with a weak smile. "I'm alright," she said. Faramir took a step towards her but stopped as Aragorn leaned forward to connect their lips. Eowyn moved her hand to rest on his neck. Even when their lips parted they stayed close to one another, looking at each other as if they were the only people in the world. Without a word Faramir left the room and walked down the hall, trying to push away his emotions.

..::..

 _Eowyn lay alone in the dark room, drifting in and out of sleep like she did every night, unable to close her eyes without seeing death and despair. She stared at the darkness outside her window and felt tears fall down her face. "Why are you sad?" she heard a child's voice ask. Eowyn gasped and sat up in the bed, scrambling to hug her knees to her body, terror gripping her spine. Her breathing became ragged and her eyes were wide like a deer struck with the first arrow of a hunt. "Momma, why are you crying?" the voice asked again._

 _Eowyn could hear it all around her, it filled the room and whispered in her ear. "Who are you?" Eowyn asked, her body shaking in fear._

" _I'm your failure," the girl said, her voice full of condemnation and disapproval; then she giggled, her voice turning jagged and shrill._

 _Eowyn looked around the room trying to find the voice in the dark. "Please," she said. "Please leave me."_

" _She will never leave you," another voice said, a voice she knew so well. Suddenly Legolas sat on the edge of the bed, his face full of sadness and pity. Eowyn's breath hitched in her throat. Legolas reached his hand and laid it on Eowyn's cheek. "She is the child you lost," he said, tears falling down his cheeks as well. "Eowyn, how have you been reduced to this?" he asked, his voice filled with the kindness she remembered from when she was a child._

 _Eowyn lunged for him, her face dripping with tears, but just as she felt his familiar embrace he faded away and she fell. She lay on her face, letting sobs overtake her body. When she opened up her eyes she saw the bodies that littered the floor around her bed, their dead eyes staring at her. Directly in front of her stood a small girl. Dark hair fell around her shoulders in big soft curls; and her grey eyes, which seemed to look into her very soul, were Aragorn's. "Momma," she said. "Come with me." Tears slipped down her face and the bodies lying around her began to move. Eowyn gasped as they crawled to the foot of the bed and up onto the mattress._

 _Eowyn screamed and sat up, trying to get away from the rotting hands reaching for her. She opened her mouth and screamed over and over, pressing her hands to her ears, trying to drown out the voices around her._

..::..

The door to her room opened and healers ran in. "My lady," they said, laying her back in the bed. "My lady, rest." They pressed a cup to her lips. "Drink," one said, brushing the hair away from Eowyn's face. "And sleep."

The smell of the drink hit Eowyn and Grima's face appeared in her mind. She hit the cup away letting it spill onto the stone floor. She shoved her fingers deep in her throat, making the liquid rush back up. She leaned over the edge of the bed, coughing on the acid that burned her throat.

"Leave," an old woman's voice said over the noise of the room. All the women stopped chattering and looked at one another then filed out of the room. "Child," she said, stepping to Eowyn's side and pulling the hair away from her face. She laid a hand on Eowyn's back.

Eowyn looked up at the woman and blinked. "Hannah?" she asked, seeing the woman who had been her childhood maid.

"I know the effects of war," the old woman said, gently handing Eowyn a cup filled with cool water. "I have seen how it breaks the mind as much as the body."

Eowyn sat back and gulped the water, trying to wash away the taste in her mouth. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again she saw a kindly old woman, but a stranger. Out of the corner of her eye she saw another woman enter the room with a bucket and begin to wipe at the floor. Then the healer was handing her another drink, this time the water was milky.

"Drink," she said. "I will watch over you tonight, no one will touch you.

Eowyn looked into the woman's eyes and surrendered. She drained the cup in a single gulp. The room immediately began to darken and Eowyn felt herself slipping away. The last thing she heard was the sound of the cup she had been holding, falling onto the stone ground. The hands of the healer laid her down onto the pillows.

..::..

 _Aragorn smiled at Alida as she looked up at him from her father's arms. Legolas saw them staring at each other and shifted so he held the small girl in both hands then looked at Aragorn as if to say "you ready?" then flung the child across the table. Aragorn caught her in the air, laughing._

 _Arwen elbowed Legolas hard in the ribs. "We do not throw children," she said._

 _Eowyn watched smiling from around the corner as Aragorn played with the small child, tickling her with the short hairs on his chin. The little girl lay helplessly on his lap, his arms holding her still, his hands as big as her head and tangled in her hair. Eowyn started laughing as Alida burst into a fit of giggles, Aragorn laughing along with her._

" _We can hear you, Eowyn," she heard Arwen call to her._

 _Sighing, Eowyn walked back into the room, grinning as she sat down beside Aragorn._ _ **"Save me!"**_ _Alida screamed, her laughter uncontrollable. Everyone at the table laughed. Eowyn's hand rested on her middle lovingly, dreaming about the child inside._

..::..

The memory drifted away from her even as she reached out to hold onto it. Eowyn's eyes slide open and she saw the girl standing in front of her, she blinked and the girl was gone. She looked around the room and saw the old woman sleeping in a chair. Eowyn looked down at her middle, remembering the feeling of pure joy, she had felt so happy that she couldn't stop smiling. Now the life inside her felt like a curse, a cruel joke. She couldn't carry a child when she and Aragorn were happy and safe; now she was alone and weak, weaker than she had ever been before.

Eowyn sat up in the bed and saw the small girl standing by the window, the moonlight catching on her dark hair. Eowyn climbed out of her bed and walked barefoot to the window. Following the gaze of the girl she saw Legolas and Arwen sitting together on a patch of long green grass that seemed to grow from the white stones. The laughter of their twins echoed through the night. Eowyn turned from the window and walked like a ghost from the room, leaving the old woman fast asleep in the corner.

..::..

Aragorn walked slowly from the throne room. The moon was already high in the night sky. His feet turned in the direction of the Houses, the thought of Eowyn quickening his pace and speeding the beat of his heart. But when he reached her room he found it empty, the blankets thrown from the bed. Aragorn's brow knit together, his hand pinching the bridge of his nose. Images of Eowyn's body on the fields of Pelennor filled his mind. Aragorn turned to the window and saw the moonlight streaming and saw Eowyn kneeling alone in the grass.

..::..

Eowyn smiled through the tears on her cheeks, watching the little girl play in the grass and Legolas and Arwen laughing behind her. The girl towards Eowyn giggling and grabbed one of her hands, pulling Eowyn along with her. "Come," she said over and over, pulling her to where Arwen and Legolas sat together.

..::..

Aragorn ran down the flight of stairs to the courtyard of stone as fast as he could, yelling Eowyn's name as he went. But when he reached the empty space he stopped dead, Eowyn's laughter rang clear in the silent night. She stood in a simple white nightdress that clung to her tiny body. Her long blonde hair lay on her shoulders in tangles, creating a halo around her head in the moonlight. Aragorn looked on at her in wonder, listening to speak softly as if to someone else and walk along as if she was being led. "Eowyn," he called, taking a step towards her.

Eowyn turned to him, her deep blue eyes piercing him. She turned back to the little girl holding her hand but she was gone. "No," she whispered, searching for the spot where Legolas and Arwen had been but they were gone as well, even the grass she stood on faded away before her eyes. "No!" she screamed, looking around desperately. She sunk to her knees and wrapped her arms around herself.

Aragorn ran to her, kneeling behind her; her tiny frame fell into his own. "Eowyn," Aragorn said, his voice breaking at her name. He looked down at his wife and saw the broken fragile thing she had become. His fingers trailed over her face, slick with cool sweat. He pulled her close to his chest, holding her tight in the moonlight. "Why are you alone out here in night, Eowyn?" he asked, not letting her go. Eowyn's arms snaked around his neck, laying her head on his chest, her body shaking. Aragorn stood, lifting her up with him, her body as light as a child's in his arms. He walked slowly to the entrance of the courtyard and towards their rooms.

"Aragorn," Eowyn said as they walked, her voice shallow. "My mind," she said, holding onto him as tightly as she could. "It's slipping away from me."

"Shh," Aragorn soothed her, laying her into their bed. His hands ran over her face, cool on her skin. Aragorn straightened and pulled off the shirt he wore, climbing into bed beside her.

"Please listen," Eowyn said.

Aragorn sat beside her on the bed and hugged his knees. He looked down at her into her frightened eyes and wanted so desperately to help her. He swallowed and lay down beside her, pulling her to him; but she dint nothing, only lay in arms, rigid as a corpse.

..::..

Eowyn woke up with a start, her breathing ragged and sweat covering her whole body. She looked over to where Aragorn lay asleep beside her, his bare back facing her and a sheet wrapped around his waist. Eowyn wanted to run her hands over his skin, feel the warmth of him and take comfort in him. She turned away, tears started to run over her face, there was no comfort for her. She had thought that when Aragorn came back to her that everything would be right again, but nothing was right. She felt grief wash over her, drowning her.

She stood and walked from the bed to the door. Opening it she felt the cold night air blow over her body and chilling her bare skin. She stepped out into the dark and looked up at the moon above her. She thought of all the times she had seen the moon; laying by a fire on the ground, feeling safer than she had ever felt before, or laying on her back, feeling the blood run out of her only to be nursed back to life.

As the tears ran down her face and the moonlight shone on her she wished that they had let her die. She longed for the warm feeling of blood, for the sound of her heart beating in her ears, to never have known the cold of being so alone. She sunk to her knees and wrapped her arms around herself, the cold white stone sucking the heat from her body. She started to shake and felt herself sink farther down until she lay on the cold stone.

Eowyn stared up into the sky, dreaming that her life blood was flowing out of her, dreaming that she could take their place. She thought of the faces of the twins as they cried and watched their mother burn. Eowyn closed her eyes, she should have been the one to die, she was always supposed to be the one who died, she was human.

"I'm sorry," she said into the night, her voice cracking and broken by sobs. "I'm sorry, that you had to die." The sound of Arwen's voice filled her head and the feel of Legolas' touch washed over her. Eowyn closed her eyes once more and saw them as she had seen them so many times before; standing out in the water, holding onto one another, the water rushing around them.

..::..

Aragorn rolled over still half asleep, the cool air blowing over his skin. He reached out for Eowyn, wanting to pull her into his arms, but all he found was an empty bed. He sat up and rubbed his hands over his face. "Eowyn," he called into the dark room. There was no reply. He stood from the bed and grabbed his crumpled shirt from the floor, he pulled it over his head and stumbled forward. He called her name and walked to the door. He took a shaking breath when he saw her crumpled body and walked the rest of the way to her. He sank to the ground beside her, leaning his back on the wall. The lump in his throat grew. The sight of her laying in the cold, her face wet with tears, broke his heart in two.

"I see her sometimes," Eowyn said, her eyes opening to look up at the sky. Aragorn looked down at Eowyn, the light of the moon making her face as white as death. "I want to be with them," she said. "I long for death." Her face looked calm, like it did when she was sleeping.

A sob escaped Aragorn's lips, the tears rolling down from his red eyes. Eowyn opened her eyes to look at him. Tears trailed down from her eyes and rolled over his temples. Aragorn's hand came to his brow, covering his face as his body shook with sobs. "I've failed even you," he sobbed.

Eowyn reached out her hand, taking Aragorn's and holding it tight. As soon as Aragorn felt her touch he pulled her to him. Eowyn moved so that she lay in his lap, her head resting on his shoulder. She watched the tears run from his jaw and land on his shirt. Her arms snaked around him, pulling his body to hers and holding onto him as fiercely as she could.

They cried together, their tears mixing. Aragorn buried his face in Eowyn's neck and Eowyn leaned against him. Aragorn looked up and their eyes met. "You are all I ever wanted. I couldn't live without you," he said, his voice husky.

Eowyn pushed the hair out of his face and joined their lips. "You have all of me," she said, resting her forehead on his shoulder.

Aragorn wrapped his arms around her back, pulling their bodies together and holding onto her tight. "I didn't want any of this, I didn't as for the blood of kings," he said, his voice broken. "I failed in so many ways, I let them all die." His body shook with sobs, tears seeping into Eowyn's clothes.

Eowyn looked up and saw the broken man sitting in front of her and all she wanted to do was try and fix him. "You're my life," she whispered into his skin. "Every part of it. The only reason I have left to live." Together their brokenness began to fit together, their pieces knitting together, taking two bodies and making them one. Finally Eowyn lifted her face, she kissed Aragorn's temple and held his giant body with her own. Eowyn felt the warmth of him seeping into her beginning to heal the parts of her she thought would have ended her. "We are together, against all odds we are here together now," Eowyn said. "And there is beauty in that."

Aragorn lifted her face, his hands on either side of it and his fingers laced into her hair. He touched their foreheads together and whispered a single word. "Together." He didn't need to say anymore.

Eowyn closed her eyes and breathed in deep. Her mind played over the first time she had seen him, showed her the times they had had together with friends that had become family, and the small cabin in the woods, the happiness she had felt there, and everything that had lead them to here, to the cold stone and the warmth of each other's embrace. "Together," she whispered back.

..::..

The sun shone brightly down on the thousands of people who had gathered to witness the coronation of Aragorn. He stood, a black cloak draped over his shoulder blew slightly in the wind. The darkness of his clothes stood in contrast to the glowing gold of Eowyn. He looked to where she stood beside him and marveled at her beauty. Her once wild hair was tucked up around her head, ready for the crown that would be laid on it. She looked so regal, her long neck bowed as she listened to Gandalf's words, she looked like a queen. Aragorn reached out and took her hand, holding it tightly in his own. He felt a rush of pride and happiness.

"Kneel," Gandalf said. Aragorn turned back to Gandalf still holding onto Eowyn's hand; the both knelt on the steps before him. Gandalf turned to his left and picked up a delicate silver crown from the pillow which Gimli held in front of him. Facing Eowyn he placed the glinting object upon her golden head. Next he turned back to Gimli and picked up the large silver crown. Slowly he lowered it onto Aragorn's head. "Now come the days of the King!" he announced the crowd. "And may they be blessed," he said just to Aragorn and Eowyn.

The couple stood and turned to face the crowd. Aragorn held Eowyn's hand as tightly as he could as the crowd cheered. "This day does not belong to one man," he said loudly, his voice coming as a surprise even to himself. He glanced at Eowyn then continued. "It belongs to all, let us rebuild this world so that we may share in the days of peace."

Eowyn turned to him and smiled, the pride she felt for him swelling up inside of her until she thought she would burst with it. She placed her hand on his cheek and kissed him there in front of everyone, the crowd cheered even louder than before.

When they parted Aragorn slipped his arm around her waist and began to sing in a low voice. When he finished the crowd cheered yet again and white rose petals were thrown and flew with the breeze. The crowd bowed their heads as Aragorn and Eowyn started to walk among them. Out of the corner of her eye Eowyn saw a similar face, she stopped dead in her tracks. Legolas stood at the edge of the crowds, Arwen beside him. People passed in front of them, Eowyn searched the crowd again but there were gone. She felt the color go out of her face and her heart missed a beat. She clutched Aragorn's arm tighter, her feet slowly moving. Aragorn looked down at her, her blue eyes looked at nothing. "I see them," she said under her breath.

Aragorn leaned into her, his face touching her hair and breathing in her smell. "It's alright," he breathed as they continued through the people. He stopped quite suddenly before four Hobbits. Merry, Frodo, Sam, and Pippin bowed before them. "My friends," Aragorn started. "You bow to no one." He dropped down to his knee and bowed his head before them, followed by his wife and the thousands of people witnessing the event.

..::..

Music and wine flowed freely through the night. Around the great table where Eowyn and Aragorn sat people moved ceaselessly, carrying in plates of food and taking away empty ones. Eowyn looked around the room at the sea of people in front of her until her eyes stopped on a face she knew. She sucked in a breath. Arwen looked at her from across the room.

"Eowyn," Aragorn's voice said, snapping her away from Arwen's blue eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked. "You're white."

Eowyn looked away from. "I see them even now," she said, almost ashamed. "I can't seem to push them away, no matter how hard I try."

Aragorn's hand glided over her cheek, wiping away the single tear that fell. "Why shouldn't they be here with us?" he said, turning her chin to look at him. "Why shouldn't they share in our joy and victory? They gave their lives for this moment, Eowyn."

Eowyn nodded in understanding and looked through the crowd again until she found them walking together toward one of the huge doors that stood open. Just as they passed through Arwen turned and met her eyes and smiled at Eowyn. "Be at peace, Eowyn," she said.

Eowyn looked at Aragorn, seeing the king of men. She moved her hand to take his where it lay on the table, remembering the first time she had seen the Ranger. She looked down at his hands and thought of how he had always had dirt under his nails, and hard rough calluses on his palms, and how they had almost always been stained with blood. Now they were clean and a wedding band was on his finger. How much they had changed, she thought to herself. When she looked into his eyes she saw the love pouring out of them. She smiled at him as he leaned closer to her and kissed her forehead.

"My queen," he said in her ear playfully. "What holds such a grip on your mind?"

Eowyn smiled, looking down. "I was thinking of the first time that we met," she said, stroking her thumb over his hand. "How long ago that was."

Aragorn chuckled. "It has only been a few years, Eowyn. Five years is not a lot out of eighty." Eowyn looked up at him in surprise. Aragorn laughed. "But it feels like a lifetime," he said in her ear, his hand on her face.

Eowyn smiled, catching Aragorn's lips with hers and drawing him into her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Faramir standing from where he sat beside Aragorn, his glass raised. "Since our king and queen were married in secret before the Battle of the Black Gate, giving their people no chance to celebrate their union. I raise a toast now!" he called out over the noise of the crowd, causing a hush to fall over the room. "To our king and his bride!" he called as the crowd raised their glasses. "May they bring as much joy to the city as they do to each other," he finished, downing his wine and slamming his cup down onto the table. The room exploded into cheers.

Eowyn glanced at Faramir and saw a sadness in his eyes. "It wasn't a secret," she said so that only Faramir and Aragorn could hear. He looked at her for a long second then turned and walked away out of the hall. Aragorn looked at Eowyn, a question in his eyes. Eowyn laid her free hand on his arm. "Let me go find what is bothering him," she said.

Aragorn nodded, kissing her once before she turned away from him, her hand slipping from his. Aragorn watched as she followed Faramir into the night.

..::..

Eowyn walked until she saw the outline of Faramir standing alone under the White Tree. "Why did you leave?" she asked, walking up to him, her arms crossed over her body and her hair slipping from its arrangement. Faramir looked at her in the moonlight then looked away again without answering. "Faramir, come back inside and feast with us," she said.

Faramir shook his head, unable to tell her how it hurt him the way she looked at Aragorn, the way she touched him and was near to him. How he wanted to be near her, to feel her soft breath on his skin. How it gave him chills when she kissed him, not caring who saw and without any shame. How he wanted nothing but the pureness of their love. Instead, he turned to her. "When are you going to tell him that you are with child?" he asked, changing the subject.

Eowyn stopped where she stood, a cool wind of fear blowing over her as she imagined losing the baby she had inside of her just as she had lost their first child. "I can't," she said softly. "Not yet, it's too soon."

Faramir uncrossed his arms and took a step towards her, sensing the fear in her. He put a hand on either one of her arms and looked down at her cool blue eyes. "I do not think you will lose this one," he said almost too quietly to hear.

"How do you…" she started to say but he interrupted her.

"You murmur in your sleep," he said.

"Eowyn," Aragorn called, crossing the distance between them and the hall. Faramir dropped his hands from her sides and turned away from her. Faramir nodded as Aragorn approached them, then without a word walked away. "What's going on?" Aragorn asked, touching Eowyn's elbow. "It's cold out here, come back inside." He turned in the direction of the hall.

"Aragorn, wait," she said, taking his hand and breathing deeply.

"What is it, Eowyn?" he asked, turning back to her and pulling her into his arms.

"I need to tell you something," she said into chest. Aragorn held her at arm's length, staring into her eyes and waiting for her words. Eowyn hesitated, tears welling in her eyes. "I am carrying your child," she said softly.

Aragorn blinked, tears coming into his own eyes. In a rush he pulled her into his arms, crushing her into his body. He made a noise that was half laugh and half sob. Moving to press his lips to her hair then lay his cheek on her head. He squeezed her tight then let go, looking down at her as she laughed through her tears then down to her middle lovingly. "This day is perfection." He laughed, grabbing her and lifting her into the air, spinning her above him. Eowyn smiled at him and as he lowered her slowly back down to the ground. "I love you," he said as her feet touched the grass, his arms still resting on her waist.

"Aragorn, look," Eowyn said, her eyes looking past him. "It's blooming."

Aragorn turned and saw the White tree of Gondor, but instead of bare branched a thousand tiny white blooms clung to it, their petals falling softly into the grass around where they stood together.

 **Author's Note: We hope you enjoyed** _ **The Lost Chronicles Part Two,**_ **the rest of the story will continue in our final chapter,** _ **The Lost Chronicles Part Three**_ **. Keep an eye on our page to find out when we upload it. – Caitie and Savanah**


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